Adolescence
by FraternalTwins8994
Summary: Kaizuki is starting her new life at a new school. Juritsu is trying to resume a normal life as a senior. However, within only days, their world collide in a whirlwind of conflict, drama, and unwavering friendships. This is the story of their journey.
1. Chapter 1

**_Adolescence_**

**_Chapter One_**

"I'm Tsubaki Kaizuki; it's a pleasure to meet all of you." She looked fairly bored with the current scenario, but who could blame her? She had transferred schools four times in the past four years, and she was a little too good at the whole introduction thing at this point.

"There's a free seat beside Juritsu," the teacher, Mr. Kirkland, indicated a seat beside a tanned girl with a blue shirt on. Kaizuki walked over to the indicated seat silently, settling herself in and dumping her bag on the floor beside her chair.

"Kaizuki, since it's your first day, I'll let you off this time, but carrying around your bag isn't allowed. You have a locker for a reason." Mr. Kirkland said, turning to face the board and writing down some nonsense about the Japanese language that they would have to remember for college.

She glanced up at him, eyes blazing with anger, before returning her attention to her artwork or writing, depending on what page she flipped to.

Juritsu glanced over at the newcomer briefly before turning her attention to her notes, namely her multiple college applications. She was nervous but excited. She was eager to meet up with Sasuke after school and collaborate with him on choosing a university to attend together. She had been with him since the beginning of her second year in high school.

Kaizuki's eyes wandered the crowd, before settling on the girl beside her. She was a pretty girl, her proportions just well enough that they would be fun to draw. She started the sketch, curving the lines as she occasionally glanced at her out of the corner of her eye. She was very pretty; the sexy, gorgeous kind of pretty. A good type to practice drawing.

The bell rang, signaling the end of homeroom, and the class got louder than believable in a split second as they grabbed their things and headed for their first actual class. Kaizuki stood up, stuffing her notebook into her bag. She wondered if this girl, Juritsu, would be in any of her classes. It didn't look promising, though; she looked a bit older, so she might've been a 3rd year student. However, the probability of seeing her later was likely.

She rounded the corner out of her homeroom, speeding down the halls with her head slightly lowered. The feeling of being watched was as clear as ever, making her nerves on edge. She saw someone's foot, and her ankle wrapped around theirs, and she tripped, never hearing the "watch it!" as she slipped forward.

Luckily, someone was standing close enough to catch her, and they didn't dodge her either. That was pleasant, what a nice person, how nice of them to catch her. She readied herself and looked up into a pair of coal black eyes. She blinked, staring up at him.

"Are you alright?" he asked in concern, helping her to steady herself on her feet.

She blinked, taking a few seconds to completely register what had just happened. Trip, fall, catch. That was good; it warranted a grateful word of appreciation.

"Thanks…" She replied, "Sorry for taking up your time… Gotta get to class. See you later." _Why did I say, see you later? What am I, stupid? I don't even **know** him! Stupid habits._

She really needed to stop switching schools.

She walked past him, glancing habitually out the window as she walked by. She sighed, and continued on her journey to… where was she going?

...

Juritsu scanned the crowd habitually, trying to locate her boyfriend. The past few days he had seemed to be avoiding her, and she was hoping to be able to talk to him and find out what was wrong. _I hope I didn't make him angry or something_, she thought to herself worriedly as she rounded a corner and bumped into some. "Ah, sorry…"

"Juritsu?" It was Sasuke.

The girl's heart was in her throat and she promptly flushed crimson. "O-oh… hey, Sasuke…" she stammered, looking down at her folded hands.

"No, it's okay… are you alright?" he asked. Juritsu was beginning to wonder the same thing; _why the hell am I acting like we haven't been dating for a year?!_

"Oh, no! I'm fine," Juritsu forced herself to look at him and smile, "It's been a weird day, that's for sure. But, um, yea… So are you going to class?"

Sasuke stared at her for a very long moment before snapping to attention, "Oh! Right! Class! Sorry, I'll talk to you later!"

With that he hurried off. Juritsu watched him go, a forlorn look in her eyes, before she turned around and headed off in the opposite direction.

...

The day was slow and tiring, even though it was only the first day of school, and everyone _should've_ been well rested. The lunch bell rang, and everyone was more than excited to get out of their class and to the lunchroom, a little ways away from the stress that was building up from the pressure of first-day-of-the-year tests and do-you-remember-this quizzes.

Kaizuki stared around the lunchroom, letting out a soft sigh and finding an empty table to sit at. Sure, switching schools was easy, but sitting alone at a table was never any fun. It was the most awkward thing ever, and until she made a friend of some sort, she would have to deal with it.

"Um… can we sit here?"

Kaizuki looked up and found herself staring at the pretty girl she shared homeroom with. She was standing next to the man who had caught her earlier that day, and a boy who looked just like him.

The younger-looking boy leaned over to the girl and whispered "Isn't that where we usually sit?"

The girl waved him off, reassuring that it wasn't a big deal, and smiled warmly at Kaizuki.

"Sure," Kaizuki finally replied, "You can sit here." She pay them little attention as she pulled out her drawing pad and flipped open to her newest drawing, feeling rather glad that she had been able to score a seat with the pretty girl that she had been drawing.

_Ah,_ She thought in irritation to herself, _I forgot my bento again. It never fails; first day of the year, every time._

She glanced around the lunchroom, staring out each window in turn for a moment before staring back at the half-started drawing.

"Did you already eat?" the older man spoke up suddenly, catching her attention.

"Huh? Oh, no. I left my bento at home; I always do on the first day of school. Kind of a creepy ritual." She replied half-heartedly. The doors to the lunchroom opened and she looked up. She returned back to her drawing immediately.

"Are you hungry?" the girl interrupted.

Kaizuki had to think about that for a few seconds, before shrugging, "It's nothing that I can't deal with."

"Well, I have some extra cash on me; I could buy you a lunch from here, or at least a snack," she offered.

Kaizuki thought about that for an even longer moment; was it too risky? What the heck kind of thought was that anyway? Too risky? It wasn't like she was a freakin' mafia boss or wanted for murder or something! Not yet, anyway.

She finally looked up, a slight smile gracing her features, "If it's not too much of a trouble for you, I wouldn't mind."

"It's no problem at all!" The girl stood up and walked over to the lunch line. The two brothers (at least, that's what Kaizuki assumed) watched the girl go before turning their attention towards the new student.

"So, what's your name?" the younger one asked, "I'm Uchiha Sasuke. This is my older brother, Uchiha Itachi."

"I'm pleased to meet you," Itachi greeted with a polite bow of his head.

_Ah, I was right,_ Kaizuki thought needlessly as she looked around again before replying, "Tsubaki Kaizuki. Nice to meet you, too. Also, thanks for earlier, Itachi… I didn't thank you properly." She made her best nice girl face, before letting out a sleepy sigh and glancing back down at her drawing. It was coming along nicely, thankfully. As of recent, her drawing skills hadn't been very good. It had been frustrating her to no end.

"It's okay. It's good to know that you weren't hurt or anything," Itachi replied.

"Itachi's studying to be a doctor, but he works part time as an aide to help pay for school," Sasuke explained, glancing at the notebook, "What's that you're drawing?"

Kaizuki looked up, her eyes practically glowing at his comment, "Well, I'm attempting to draw that girl you were with. I first saw her in homeroom, and she looked like she'd be fun to draw. Was her name Juritsu?"

Sasuke smiled slightly. "Son Juritsu. She's a third year, like me. It looks like your picture's coming along nicely though. Does she know you're drawing it? Maybe she could pose for you."

Kaizuki couldn't help but chuckle, "I don't have the nerve to ask anyone of something like that." The doors to the cafeteria opened; she looked up again. Nothing dangerous, she looked back at her book. She wondered if she was making Itachi and Sasuke think yet. She regretted wondering that in an instant.

"Well I could ask her if you wanted…"

"Why do you keep glancing at the door? Are you waiting for someone?" Itachi asked curiously, "I can go find them if you'd like."

Kaizuki froze, and chuckled half-heartedly, "N-no… I'm not waiting for anyone." _I'm keeping watch, actually._ She returned to her attention to her drawing, staring at it for a long moment as she forced herself to remember what she had been working on. Upon recalling that she was on the legs, she returned to the artwork. The doors opened, she looked up. _Oh, fuck me. I need to stop looking up._

Sasuke and Itachi shared a look before looking over at Kaizuki. There was a brief silence before Juritsu abruptly returned, carrying a tray of hot and delicious-looking food.

"Here you go!" Juritsu placed the tray near the notebook, but not too closely. "Sorry it took me so long; there was a really long line."

Kaizuki, rather glad that someone who hadn't been watching her repeatedly look at the door had arrived, smiled gratefully, folding her notebook over so that it wasn't taking up as much space, and slid the tray into its place. She put the notebook back in her bag, and picked up a set of chopsticks.

"Thank you very much; I really appreciate it." She wondered if being so polite was really a good way to make friends. Apparently, from what she had learned from one of her previous schools, it made her seem distant. Then again, Itachi seemed colder than she, so maybe that wasn't altogether true. She mentally shrugged, and started the hot meal.

She didn't think that she usually ate as fast as she ate then; first day of school she tended to freak out with her meals. Then again, she also usually skipped lunch on the first day of school, so that was a little bit natural.

Juritsu smiled slightly as Kaizuki finished her meal, then took the tray up, promising that she'd show the younger student what went where.

"I've got to leave early. There's a student council meeting," Juritsu said apologetically.

"I'm also a member," Sasuke added as he stood up. Itachi smiled at them both.

"I'll see you both later then," he replied, watching at they made their way to the entrance of the cafeteria.

Kaizuki fished her notebook back out of her bag, thinking deeply about her current predicament. She flipped to the drawing of Juritsu, tilted her head to the side, holding her pencil over the paper steadily for a long moment. Finally, she started to sketch the outside of the right leg that she hadn't finished earlier. Itachi contented himself with quietly watching the younger girl draw, until it was time to go to the next class.

"Kaizuki-san," Itachi spoke up. He had already stood up and was ready to start walking. "Class will be starting soon."

Kaizuki looked up at him, slightly startled by his sudden voice. She hastily stuffed her things into her bag and jumped to her feet, smiling sheepishly, "Sorry for ignoring you for so long… I get like that when I draw." She figured that the quiet hadn't bothered him, but still, ignoring people was rude, unless they really didn't matter in your life.

Itachi smiled reassuringly. "Do you need any help finding your next class?"

She blinked, before fishing her schedule out of her pocket and staring at it carefully, "Actually, yes I do. Next is History, and I've got Mr. Karpusi for that class…" She tilted her head, wondering if she had even pronounced that name right before shrugging it off and returning her attention to Itachi. The older man nodded, and set off toward the history classroom, pointing out various classes that she would need to remember as time went on.

"Thanks again, Itachi-san." She applied a smile, which was a little harder than usual - - that food must've had sleeping pills in it or something; she was exhausted to the point of wanting to faint.

She bid Itachi farewell, entering her classroom, which, for some reason, felt like entering another dimension. Mr. Karpusi had apparently been to every country in the world.

...

Juritsu absentmindedly jotted down notes as she half-listened to Mr. Kirkland's history lecture. She was more looking forward to the end of the day. She had a lot of admissions applications to go over with Sasuke, and besides that, they were going to spend the afternoon out on the town together. She was positive it was going to be a lot of fun.

Just as she thought that, her cell phone vibrated in her pocket. Discreetly, she took it out, checking the text message.

_Hey Juri – can't make it today. Something came up. Maybe tomorrow? – Sasuke_

Her heart sank. Again? What was going on? Carefully, Juritsu texted back "_It's okay. Tomorrow then,_" and pocketed her phone before she was caught (Mr. Kirkland was eyeing her suspiciously). She rested her cheek in her left hand while she continued to take notes with the other.

It was starting to really bother her. And it was looking more and more like he was avoiding her. But why? Had she really done something to anger him in some way? She just wished he could tell her what was going on so they could figure out a solution.

_What are you thinking, Sasuke?_ Juritsu thought to herself.

...

Kaizuki stood up as the bell rang, slinging her bag over her shoulder and heading for the door. Today, she had to go to the dojo and practice, as usual. She had achieved a brown belt in Karate, but that wasn't good enough; he was a black belt, if not a little better than one. She had a _long_ way to go, which was going to be the end of her if she didn't pick up the pace. Maybe she would stay behind and practice until dawn or something.

She looked up and spotted Itachi, who was probably waiting at the door for his brother. Absentmindedly cracking her knuckles, she wondered if she should sneak past him or something. That would be odd though, so she decided against it. Why was she having so many weird thoughts lately? Paranoid much?

_Ugh, I'm going to hang myself by the end of the week._ She approached the older of the two Uchiha, picking up the pace as if someone were chasing her or something. She glanced over her shoulder; maybe someone _was_ following her. That would explain the creepy feeling in her gut.

"Hey," She greeted, waving half-heartedly.

Itachi glanced over as she caught his attention. "How was your first day?" he asked.

She smiled slightly, "I'd have to say it's been swell so far." She glanced out the door and heaved a sigh of relief, "I am so tired right now I might faint. I ought to get going. I'll talk to you tomorrow, I guess."

"I'll talk to you tomorrow," Itachi smiled slightly, "I'm glad you enjoyed your day."

She nodded in reply, and walked out into the ridiculous amount of sunshine. She was blinded by the light, and spent a few seconds rubbing the sun out of her eyes.

_Okay, if the sun is going to be this bright, then the school should have brighter lights. My god, I can't see anything._

...

Juritsu had a freshly freed up afternoon to spend alone; Itachi had to go study at home, and Sasuke wouldn't tell her what he needed to do. So, she decided to do a little shopping for some clothes. A little self-spoiling wouldn't hurt, after all.

As she was walking across the street, she happened to look into the windows of the nearby café. She had to stop and rub her eyes in disbelief. That was really Sasuke, sitting across from Sakura, sharing an ice cream with her, and hanging _all over her_.

The two of them leaned in close, and Juritsu looked away, not wanting to see anymore of the betrayal. She turned back around and took off at full speed, sprinting back towards her home, where she intended to fall into her bed and cry for the rest of the night.


	2. Chapter 2

**_Chapter Two_**

...

Kaizuki sat down, glancing over at Juritsu with a slight smile that the other girl didn't notice. She glanced at the front of the room as Mr. Kirkland spoke up, drawing everyone's attention.

"Class, today we will be welcoming a new student." A boy. Black hair, blue eyes. Kaizuki's blood ran cold as she stared at him. He smiled his nice-boy smile and bowed to the class politely.

"My name is Kenryokusha Aisoku; please take care of me." He greeted calmly, his perfect smile stunning all the girls with the exception of two in to a frenzied "I'm-in-love" silence. Mr. Kirkland pointed out a seat in the second row, on almost the completely opposite side of the room from Kaizuki. She almost let out a breath of relief, but then realized that the chances of never seeing him outside of homeroom were highly unlikely.

Juritsu dully stared at the newcomer. He wasn't all that bad-looking. His hair resembled Sasuke's a bit…

Her heart wrenched and she clenched the fabric of her blouse, squeezing her already puffy eyes shut to fight back tears as a fresh wave of pain washed over her.

The bell rang loudly, resonating through the room. Kaizuki and Juritsu stood up, each heading for the door. It was easy to read the mood of the older girl; she was good at hiding outward appearance, but if one was good at recognizing the signs, they could tell how awful she felt, even if knowing the reason was impossible.

Kaizuki watched Juritsu stalk down the halls, her head slightly lower than usual, and her pride seemingly suffering in consequence. She would've asked what had happened had they been closer friends; she would've even tried to comfort her. But they had only met yesterday, and Kaizuki had never really been good with comforting. Cheering up was more her style. Juritsu was clearly not in the mood to be cheered up.

She absentmindedly started walking down the halls faster than she thought possible, pretty much desperate to get into her seat in class before Aisoku caught up with her. He wasn't going to ruin her school year again, like he had the previous four.

...

Juritsu wasn't paying attention to anyone or anything around her. She was too angry to care. Luckily, she hid it relatively well, so it looked like she was only really tired. She paused at her locker, going through the combination without thinking about it.

"Hey Juritsu."

She paused in the middle of unlocking the door. Slowly she looked over, her eyes meeting Sasuke's.

"What's wrong? You look tired," Sasuke said worriedly. He was probably faking it, like he had apparently faked the year they had spent together.

Juritsu paused for a moment to just stare at him before replying coolly "Maybe Sakura would know."

Sasuke faltered, paling slightly. "Wh-what are you talking about…?"

"Quit with the bullshit Sasuke," came Juritsu's heated reply, "Quit playing your stupid games. You know, you could've just told me that you didn't want me anymore; that would've made this less painful! I had to find out on my own, watching you make out with her!"

Sasuke was beginning to panic, "W-Wait, Juritsu, please…"

"It doesn't matter! Go back to your new girlfriend; I'm sure she's eagerly waiting for your fucking arrival!" Before Juritsu could take off down the halls, Sasuke tightly grabbed her wrist.

"Juritsu, please! Wait!" His voice was desperate, frantic. In response, she whirled around, slapping him with all of her strength.

"DON'T FUCKING TOUCH ME!"

Stunned, Sasuke's grip slackened, and Juritsu used that opportunity to sprint down the hall, not stopping for anyone. She soared past Itachi, who watched her worriedly.

"Juritsu…?" He glanced down the hall to catch sight of his little brother, who looked lost and defeated.

...

Kaizuki looked up at the two Uchiha brothers as they sat down across from her; Juritsu was absent from their little group. She stared at the two brothers for a long moment, noting how awful Sasuke looked. Deciding that it was probably none of her business, she went about opening the bento that she had remembered to bring that day.

She looked around the lunchroom, searching for her brunette friend, and spotting her, seated at a table by herself. She looked just as awful as Sasuke, which led her to deduce that whatever happened, it involved the two of them.

She was too good at meddling, really. "What happened?" _Why did I just ask that? Oh, yes, because I'm an idiot._

Sasuke paled slightly, glancing away for a moment. "W-we… there was a fight…"

_Wow, he is too easy to figure out,_ she thought, looking around the lunchroom, and knowing that it was only a matter of time before she would have to fight for her life.

"A fight? You and Juritsu?" At that point, she felt like a total jerk, but it was somewhat worth it. She needed to know whether she should be sitting with Sasuke, or whether she should be sitting with Juritsu.

"It happens every now and then."

Itachi was now eyeing his brother suspiciously. "You two have fought before, but never like this."

"It's… just don't worry about it…"

"Hey Sasuke!" A pink-haired girl walked over, "Can I sit here? Hey… are you okay? You look awful."

Sasuke looked up helplessly at the newcomer before looking back down at his food, picking idly at the sushi. "Sure you can… Sakura…" he replied half-heartedly, his voice quiet.

She sat down right next to Sasuke, pressing her hand over his head. "Well you don't have a fever…"

He nervously waved her hand away. "Don't worry about it," he retorted. Itachi's eyes narrowed; it didn't take much to figure out.

He stood up, picking up his tray. "Excuse me; I need to go to the faculty meeting now," he said, voice slightly cool as he began walking towards the exit, "I'll **talk** with you later, Sasuke."

Sasuke nodded slightly, looking quite miserable. Kaizuki, without a word, stood up, lifted her bento from the table and stalked away. Her blood boiled as she mulled over her thoughts. She hated people – boys and girls -- who cheated. It was disgusting, and it made her sick.

"Can I sit here?" She asked, smiling slightly at Juritsu as she stood across the table from her. Juritsu looked positively miserable.

"Well you can if you don't mind sitting with a mess like me," she replied weakly. Kaizuki nodded silently, sitting down across from Juritsu and letting out a sigh.

"Are you okay, at any rate?" she asked, hoping that her tone of voice was the right kind of concerned, and nothing similar to pity.

Juritsu smiled pathetically "Well I've been better… I suppose I'll get over it eventually."

Kaizuki gave her an exasperated look, before nodding with a light sigh. She glanced up at the door as it swung shut and turned her head away from it, hoping that she wouldn't be noticed. No such luck. Aisoku spotted her, most likely based on something creepy like a certain stain on her shirt. He made his way through the crowd, sitting himself down beside her without permission.

"Who said you could sit here?" Kaizuki's voice was like ice, "Get lost."

Juritsu glanced at the newcomer in confusion. She recognized him as the student introduced during homeroom. "Kaizuki, you know him?" she asked.

Kaizuki nodded, her jaw tight, "Unfortunately, I do."

Aisoku laughed, slinging an arm over her shoulder, "Oh, don't say that!"

"Don't touch me." Kaizuki said venomously, her eyes narrowed. The teenaged boy glanced at her, a slight frown showing his displeasure at her obvious attempts to tell him to jump in a lake and drown.

Juritsu started to look concerned. "Um, do you want to go find somewhere else to eat, Kaizuki?" she asked.

Kaizuki nodded silently, standing up and lifting her bento from the table. She turned an icy stare on Aisoku, giving him enough incentive to not bother her for a while. She led the way to the roof of the school, her favorite spot no matter where she was. Since it was a nice, sunny, warm day, it was perfect for eating outside.

She opened the door to the roof, holding it open for Juritsu. When she looked up, she was slightly surprised to see Itachi standing by the fence, his posture similar to that of a very irritated parent. She didn't and would never blame him for being annoyed with Sasuke, if not completely furious with him.

"Hey, Itachi." She greeted, closing the door behind her and heading over to the fence to join him. Itachi glanced over at the girls as they approached, his narrowed glare softened. He nodded in acknowledgement at Kaizuki for her greeting a few seconds earlier.

"Are you okay, Juritsu?" Itachi asked, eyeing her ragged appearance carefully.

Juritsu smiled sadly. "I'll be okay in time. I'm sorry if this is troubling you."

"It's not." Itachi took a few steps forward and wrapped his arms around her comfortingly, "You shouldn't be bottling your emotions up. We both know it's very unhealthy for you to do so."

Juritsu stiffened slightly, eyes clouded with doubt. "I-Itachi… but…" she tried to argue.

"Just let it out, Juritsu. We're friends, remember?"

That did it; Juritsu squeezed her eyes shut just as the tears began to well, and she clutched at his shirt just as she started to sob. Itachi didn't falter. He stroked her hair gently all the while glaring out into the distance. He was _furious_ with his little brother.

Kaizuki averted her gaze, not really wanting to intrude up such a tender moment between friends. She stared off into the distance, up at the clouds, at the school around her, but definitely never at them. Her stomach was flopping about in her gut, making a strange ache but not quite nausea. She didn't like it, at any rate, but decided to ignore it.

She wondered what kind of expression she was wearing, and hoped for some reason that Itachi was staring at her. She was sure that whatever expression it was, it was something that she didn't want him to see.

_What kind of feeling is this? I don't like it._ She thought irritably, making absolute certain to not look at Itachi. God forbid if their eyes met.

_Wow, I'm acting like a total weirdo today, aren't I?_

Easily dismissing every thought that came up from that point on, Kaizuki closed her eyes and sighed softly enough for no one to hear. Hopefully, Itachi wasn't staring at her.

"It's okay, take deep breaths," Itachi's gentle voice floated into her mind, "We're here for you. And I'm here for you, okay?"

Juritsu nodded, still sniffling and holding on to Itachi's shirt as if it were a lifeline.

"Th-thank you, Itachi, Kaizuki," her voice was thick and wavering.

_Thank you? I didn't say anything, idiot._ Kaizuki was slightly startled by her sudden feeling of hostility. It wasn't even her usual feeling of hatred or anger. Well, whatever it was, she didn't like it. Therefore, she dismissed it.

"It's no problem. I wouldn't have ever taken his side in this anyway," Itachi replied cheerfully. Juritsu snorted slightly, then giggled a bit.

"I-I'm sorry," Juritsu said between hiccups, "That was just really funny to hear, coming from you."

Itachi smiled, "It's fine, Juri. I'm glad that you're able to laugh at least for now."

Juritsu nodded, stepping back and smiling gratefully at him. "Thank you for being there Itachi," she turned to Kaizuki, "And thank you very much for coming and sitting with me. I can't tell you how much I appreciated it, especially since we don't know each other all that well. I hope we can be friends."

_Only for as long as I can. _"Yea," Kaizuki replied with a smile, "Of course."


	3. Chapter 3

**_Chapter Three_**

...

Kaizuki yawned, covering her mouth as she walked down the sidewalk to school. It was a nice morning; it wasn't too bright, and there were enough clouds to keep the sun from burning her retinas, but not so much that it was cold. Except for when the wind started to blow; then it got fairly freezing. She wished that she had kept up her habits of wearing a pair of jeans to school and then changing in the bathroom. That had been a good habit. Stupid school uniforms.

She heard the sound of a car driving up, and didn't bother glancing over at it. She did look, however, when the black car pulled up beside her and the windows rolled down. Aisoku stared out the window out her, a perverse look in his gaze. Kaizuki glowered at him.

"Good morning, Kai-chan!" He greeted cheerfully, telling his driver to stop the car, and hopped out onto the sidewalk to join her. She hadn't stopped, and he took a few seconds to catch up to her.

"Hello, Kenryokusha-san." She replied with an icy undertone to her voice. Ever oblivious or perhaps just never being intimidated, Aisoku ignored her attempts to put him off. He reached up, wrapping a hand around her waist and smiling warmly.

"Don't be so cold! You love me, remember?" He said cheerfully, his face coming far too close to hers.

Kaizuki grabbed his wrist, forcing his hand as far away as she could get it with one try, and turned on him in a second.

"Leave me alone, you prick!" She snarled, before turning on her heel to run off. He reached out and grabbed her wrist, a slightly strained smile on his face. He wrenched her back over before she could get away.

"Will you at least ride to school with me?" He requested, "It's chilly out, and you look cold!"

Kaizuki gritted her teeth, feeling her wrist start to throb from an oncoming bruise.

"Fine," She growled, "But if you lay even a hand on me, I will fucking kill you."

He looked positively delighted, despite her threat, and opened the car door for her. She slid into the seat, sitting as far away and as close to the door as possible. If he tried anything, she would throw open the door and make a run for it, even if they were going fifty miles an hour.

To her surprise, Aisoku held to his word, didn't lay a hand on her, but kept up an ongoing conversation. Kaizuki did nothing more than nod or shake her head, not ever really hearing anything that he said. They arrived at the school in only a few minutes; he opened the door, and climbed out, extending a hand like a proper gentleman to help her out. Kaizuki batted his hand away rudely and shut the door behind her.

She spotted Itachi walking up to the school, and picked up the pace to join him, completely ignoring Aisoku from that point on.

"Hey, Itachi," she greeted with a lazy wave. She hoped to the dear Lord that Aisoku would get the hint and leave her alone at least until lunchtime.

Itachi glanced over, slightly surprised to see her.

"Good morning, Kaizuki-san," he greeted. He looked tired, and his smile looked slightly strained.

She stared at him, slightly concerned for a moment, before she spoke up, "You look exhausted. Did something happen, or were you just up late?" She asked, tilting her head to the side; it was easy to figure out what was wrong, but sometimes it was a bit better to pretend that one didn't know something.

Itachi sighed slightly. "I got into an argument with Sasuke. Right now I'm just very disappointed in him, and worried about Juritsu. She has very deep feelings for him, as you saw. The three of us go back quite a ways."

Kaizuki nodded, glancing at the ground and wondering to herself what kind of argument Sasuke would or could bring up to justify why he would be cheating on Juritsu. If he didn't like her, he could've broken up with her, so what kind of lame excuse had he made? Or was he just one of those stupid boys who thought that if he broke up with his girl, it would hurt her more than to see him with another woman.

"Kai-chan!" Kaizuki looked up, biting her tongue to refrain from the spiteful comment she wanted to say so badly.

"What do you want _now_?" She snapped, clearly expressing her distaste, to which Aisoku was, as always, completely ignorant.

"I give you a ride, and that's the thanks I get?" He said with a laugh.

"You offered; I didn't ask. Therefore, I am not obligated to show you a hint of kindness." She gripped her bag tightly, keeping her eyes trained on the world in front of her.

Itachi blinked, looking back and forth between the two students.

"I assume you two know each other," he stated, barely letting his curiosity be known.

Kaizuki snorted, "Unfortunately, I've known him since middle school, but not willingly."

Aisoku grinned, "You're so harsh, darling." He said in a sing-song voice. It took everything in her being to not haul off and smack him as hard as she could.

"Please don't call me 'darling', Kenryokusha-san. It's distressing." She didn't even spare him a glance, "Anyway, shouldn't you get to class? You wouldn't want your perfect record of attendance to be hurt, would you?"

"If it's to spend more time with you, then who cares?" Kaizuki didn't respond, thinking about the hundreds of insults she could throw at him, before deciding to ignore him and return her attention to the ever suffering Itachi.

"Well, I have to hurry up and get to class, so I will talk to you later."

Itachi nodded before glancing at Aisoku. "While your sentiments are understandable, Kenryokusha-san, it is best if you go to your own class. Unexcused absences result in detention," he informed the student, turning around a corner to walk down to the faculty, "Now if you'll excuse me."

Kaizuki headed for her homeroom, which, she suddenly remembered, she shared with Aisoku. She gritted her teeth, walking faster in the hopes of losing him or getting there before he decided to start feeling affectionate.

She suddenly heard shrieking down the hall. It sounded like a fight was about to break out, if it hadn't broken out already.

Kaizuki, the curious little fool that she was, walked past her homeroom in the direction of the sound, intending to get a quick glance and then leave. Aisoku was right behind her. He reached out a hand and grabbed her wrist again, squeezing it far too hard.

"You might get hurt, so..."

"I'm a fucking brown-belt in Karate, Aisoku. I think I can defend myself against a couple of loser high schoolers in a stupid fight." She snapped, wrenching her already bruised arm out of his grip and starting off again. He was still following her, but she had a feeling that he wouldn't try to attack her. Even if he did, they were in school; she could always start yelling bloody murder at him.

As she approached the scene, she could hear words instead of just randomly yelling.

"I thought you were my friend, Sakura, how could you do this to me?!"

"You are my friend! But it's just... I really like Sasuke! I've liked him for a while, and you knew that!"

"You knew that he and I were together, you whore!"

"I just wanted a chance!"

"THAT'S NOT A FUCKING EXCUSE!"

She slowed down, coming up on the scene that had gotten the attention of several students, who were hanging out of doors of nearby classrooms. Teachers were trying desperately to keep the students in their rooms, but it wasn't working at all. Kaizuki squeezed past the crowd, and found herself staring at Juritsu and the pink haired girl, Sakura, from the previous day.

Aisoku stood right beside her, far too close for her liking. She ignored him, assessing the situation.

Sakura was, or had been, with Sasuke.

Juritsu was, or had been, with Sasuke.

Sasuke was, or had been, with both Juritsu and Sakura.

Juritsu and Sakura were, or had been, friends.

That was what Kaizuki was able to deduce from what she had heard and learned from just simple watching.

_It looks like Sasuke is going to be the unfortunate middleman in all of this..._

Sakura was beginning to look angry.

"Well, if I recall, I was the one who had a crush on him first!" she snapped, "You took him away from me before I could even confess to him!"

Juritsu's eyes with filled with enraged incredulity. "_I_ took him away?! Sakura, we all liked him that way! And yet... and even though we've been through everything... you still seduce him behind my back!? You stabbed me in the back, Sakura!"

"Not before you stabbed mine first!"

"FUCK YOU! YOU'RE TRYING TO GET UNDER MY SKIN! YOU'RE NO FRIEND OF MINE!"

"IT SERVES YOU RIGHT! CLEARLY, HE NEVER CARED ABOUT YOU! OTHERWISE HE WOULDN'T HAVE FALLEN FOR ME!"

Juritsu's eye's widened. It was thought impossible, but she looked even more furious. She lunged at the pink-haired girl.

"I'LL KILL YOU!"

Kaizuki, without a single thought of intelligence, ran forward and stopped in between the two of them. She glanced back and forth between the two of them and let out a heavy, irritated sigh. They were acting like kids; seniors were supposed to be seniors. They had to at least act their age.

"If you two have such a problem, then why don't you go to Sasuke and yell at _him_ for it?!" She said, choosing her words carefully, with the full intention of getting Sasuke in trouble.

Juritsu clenched her fists, squeezing his eyes shut.

"I... I tried..." she choked out, "He won't talk to me anymore."

Biting her lip to hold herself back from sobbing outright, she turned and took off, fighting through the crowd before running at full speed down the hall.

Sakura was completely speechless; she even looked slightly guilty. Awkwardly, she mumbled something about needing to go to class.

Kaizuki watched her go, before turning to Sakura, "Friends are supposed to pray for each other's happiness, not try to ruin it, aren't they?" She said calmly, before turning away and stalking down the hall in a storm of rage. She wasn't sure why, but she was furious. If Sakura and Juritsu had been complete strangers, then it wouldn't have been so bad. However, just the fact that _both_ of them, supposedly friends with Juritsu, were willing to turn their backs on her and betray her on such a deep level...

It made her wonder how low Sasuke could possibly get.

She was rudely ripped from her fit of rage and thoughts when Aisoku appeared at her side out of seemingly nowhere and slammed her into the lockers. Completely winded and about ready to scream in surprise, she stood there, staring at him blankly.

"Why did you just jump out like that! You could've gotten hurt..." His grip on her forearms was agonizingly painful, and she glared at him furiously.

"Why the hell should you care!? I just told you that I can fight for myself just fine!"

Aisoku wasn't about to let her protect, his grip tightening as he leaned forward slightly, eyes wide and filled with almost a perverse, sinister train of thought. His voice was filled with malice, even though she was sure it wasn't intended, "I love you, so let me protect you, okay? We're in love, so..."

"I am not in love with you, damn it! You're hurting me; let go!" He ignored her protests, only squeezing harder.

"You're still in denial; its one of the stages of love, but once I show you how closely we're connected, you'll realize it too..." He smiled, and though it was probably supposed to be some kind of comforting gesture, it was probably the scariest thing that Kaizuki would ever see in her entire lifetime.

"She told you to let her go. Of course, if you would rather the school press charges against you for harassment, then keep going. I'll be sure to alert the authorities."

It was Itachi. And he looked _furious_.

Aisoku looked up at him, obviously startled. The surprise turned into an enraged glare, which he turned on Kaizuki for only a few seconds before scoffing and leaving.

Kaizuki breathed a sigh of relief, turning to Itachi with a slightly strained smile, "Thank you; you saved me again... I feel fairly indebted to you at this point." She chuckled slightly, trying to turn off his angry face, which was a little less than horrifying.

Itachi glared down the hall at Aisoku for a long moment, before he relaxed, glancing down at Kaizuki.

"Are you alright? Did he hurt you?" he asked, "I can escort you down to the nurse."

Kaizuki shook her head, "No, its okay; it's just bruises... Its nothing I can't bear with." She replied, nodding gratefully, "But thanks for the offer."

Itachi furrowed his brows before glancing down the hall once again.

"If he bothers you again like that, don't hesitate to tell someone. I haven't been working here for too long, but I've been here long enough to know that the school doesn't tolerate that kind of behavior."

_Are you kidding me? The kid's got enough money to buy this planet. I couldn't sue him if I tried, and even if I did, his parents could pay any kind of fines! They'd pay his way back into school, and they'd pay his record clean..._

"I will," She lied all too easily, "Thank you, Itachi. I have to get to class, so I will talk to you at lunch."

Itachi watched her go. She wasn't letting on what was really going on. He had the feeling that it was gonna get worse before it got better.

...

Juritsu burst though the door to the roof, running over the fence. Slowing down, her eyes welled with tears and she fell to her knees, hands desperately grasping the fence as she began to cry.

Why? Why couldn't the pain just go away? Why was it getting worse and not better?

She clutched at her shirt as her heart twisted painfully again. Hiccupping a few times, she tried to calm herself down. She needed to get to class.

"You're noisy."

She jumped, obviously startled by the unnoticed presence. She whirled around, eyes wide, and fought back her sniffles while wiping her eyes.

She recognized the student as Grimmjow Jeagerjaques. He was very popular in the school, especially among the female population. He was a straight-A jock with the body of a Greek god. It wasn't a mystery as to why the girls tried to hang all over him.

Currently, Grimmjow looked annoyed; he had been reading a book, and it wasn't hard to figure out that Juritsu's entrance and subsequent breakdown had definitely distracted him.

"S-Sorry..." she apologized quietly, her face bright red with embarrassment as she picked herself back up and began walking over to the door, "I'll be leaving now..."

Grimmjow eyed her for several seconds before replying, "Nah, don't worry about it. You look like you need the privacy more than I do. Don't make a habit out of coming up here to bawl like a crybaby though."

Juritsu would've yelled at him for the insult, but she blushed even more and averted her gaze to the ground. She felt like the biggest idiot in Japan.

"S-sorry... um, thanks..." she stammered. The blue-haired student, who had stood up by this point, chuckled slightly as he headed to the door.

"You're an interesting girl," he remarked, grinning at her, "You'd better be careful before you pique my curiosity too much."

Confused, Juritsu remained speechless as Grimmjow took his leave. Slowly, she sat back down again, miserably resting her head on her knees as a wave of exhaustion overcame her. She was not going to be able to keep going like this; that was for sure.

...

Kaizuki entered the lunchroom, finding the seat at the empty table where she had sat with Juritsu the previous day and sitting down. She sighed heavily, rubbing her wrist. It was still sore; Aisoku's strength hadn't changed at all. In fact, she wondered if he wasn't getting stronger.

She stared at her bento for a long moment, before resting her head on the cool table beside it and closing her eyes. She heard the sound of a tray being set on the table, and looked up, meeting eyes with a slightly irate-looking Itachi.

"Any sign of Juritsu yet? I haven't seen her since this morning," She felt partially responsible for the MIA status of that particular person, naturally.

He let out a sigh. "I haven't seen her either. I have the feeling I know where she is, but I didn't want to disturb her," he replied, "I'm sure she'll be down to eat before this period is over."

Kaizuki nodded, sitting up properly and covering her mouth as she yawned. The morning walk to school always woke her up for the rest of the day; since she had been deprived of that walk, she wasn't nearly as functional as usual.

"I am exhausted," She stated, resting her head in her hand.

Itachi glanced over at her, medical mind kicking in.

"Are you feeling ill?" he asked, "Would you like tea?"

Kaizuki smiled slightly at his concern, "No, it's fine. I'm just sleepy because I didn't walk to school this morning like I always do." She chuckled lightly, "I'll live."

She was slightly surprised that Aisoku hadn't hunted her down and sat with her like he usually did. A bad feeling stuck itself to the outer wall of her stomach and stayed there stubbornly.

Aisoku sat at a table not too far away; a safe distance to catch their attention, but close enough to watch them carefully. His blood boiled as he noted how much more relaxed Kaizuki seemed to be around that guy, aptly named Itachi. He clenched his fists and teeth, blue eyes blazing with anger. Who the hell did he think he was? He was nothing but an average commoner, but it was all too easy to see that Kaizuki enjoyed his company. She liked him, whether as a friend or more, it didn't matter. He should've been the only thing important in her life. She didn't need friends or even acquaintances; she only needed Kenryokusha Aisoku.

Itachi didn't look convinced. "Well, if you say so..." he glanced over as the doors opened and shut, brows furrowing in worry.

Juritsu trudged across the cafeteria, sitting down at the table and resting her head in her arms. Itachi rubbed her back comfortingly.

"What's wrong, Juri?" he asked.

"My head hurts," she muttered, sounding completely and perfectly miserable.

Kaizuki gave her a sympathetic glance that she couldn't see, before glancing back at her bento and sighing. She really wasn't hungry; not quite nauseous, just not hungry. She felt empty, but not hungry. It was a very strange feeling.

There wasn't really anything for her to say, either, so Kaizuki kept her mouth shut. She didn't know anything about illness or problem associated with headaches, let alone their cause altogether. It was best if she said nothing at all.

"Sounds like everyone's having a bad day," Itachi observed absentmindedly, "Anyway, if either of you feel worse later on, please don't hesitate to go to the nurse."

Juritsu nodded mutely from her spot. Kaizuki hummed in reply, closing her eyes and barely trying to stay away. It didn't take much effort, what with the loudness of the cafeteria, but it was still somewhat of a troublesome thing to do.

...

Kaizuki left her homeroom, rubbing the sleepiness from her eyes. She had had a weird nightmare the previous night, and hadn't gotten much sleep as a result from it. Not to mention she had fallen asleep in front of her TV with a box of ice cream.

_I can't do this today... I'm so tired._ She took a left where she should've gone right, heading for the roof. The outdoors was fairly nice, and warm, and welcoming above all. She wandered over to the fence, turning around and sliding down to the ground. Once she had gotten herself comfortable, she closed her eyes. It was only a few seconds before she had fallen asleep, head resting on her bag. She didn't wake up when the bell that signaled lunch rang.

"Juritsu."

The girl looked up at the sound of her name.

"Have you seen Kaizuki anywhere?" Itachi asked, "She disappeared from class this morning and none of the teachers have see her."

Juritsu shook her head. "I haven't seen her," she replied apologetically, "I can go find her if she doesn't show up by the end of the period."

Itachi nodded slowly, looking very deep in thought. "Thank you."

"It's no problem."

Meanwhile, the sound of the door to the roof opening and closing finally pulled Kaizuki out of the blessing of slumber, much to her frustration. She opened her eyes slowly, rolling onto her back and sitting up, rubbing her eyes and probably smudging her eyeliner a bit. She looked up at the intruder, only to let out a slight yelp of surprise when they slammed her back onto the ground.

It took a moment for the sunlight to stop killing her eyes, but once it had, Kaizuki could all too easily see the blue eyes of Aisoku. He looked _crazed_ with lust, or love, or some kind of mixture of the two. She pulled back her arm, which was at an odd angle, and punched him in the side of the head. He was hardly fazed, and the two found themselves wrestling on the ground in seconds.

"What the hell are you doing!? GET OFF ME, YOU PRICK!"

"You don't like him, right?" Aisoku breathed, eyes wide as he grabbed one of her wrists and twisted it until it burned with pain, "Uchiha Itachi; he's not good, anyway. No money, nothing special. The only thing he's got is looks, and I'm still better than him in that department! He can't make you happy..." He smiled slightly, "Because you love me, right?"

Kaizuki gritted her teeth in pain, continuing her assault on his chest, which was the only way she could attack him due to her new and much more awkward position. Using his free hand, he ripped open the overcoat of her school uniform, buttons popping out and flying across the roof.

Kaizuki's eyes widened, and she started screaming at him, "WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING!? ENOUGH WITH THE JOKE, AISOKU!"

"What joke?" He hissed, using his spare hand to unbutton her white button up carefully, so as to not ruin it like he had the coat. "This isn't a joke anymore, Kai... You love me, and you will come to accept that..."

He leaned forward, and she turned her head away rather forcefully, shouting curses and threats of death and torture. She began to thrash about wildly, kicking and writhing. She started to scream, the noise a piercing call for help. Knowing exactly what she was trying to do, Aisoku pulled back his free hand and punched her across the face, once, twice, three times before she was dazed enough to stop shouting.

He had three buttons left before her shirt would be completely open, and he smiled satisfactorily at what he saw. Licking his lips, he whispered softly, "This is the kind of thing you like isn't it? I know what kind of things you like, Kai-chan, my little kitten... It's not hard to figure out, judging by your violent nature."

Her eyes widened again and she turned slightly to stare at him, both mortified and furious. She couldn't do anything; she could bring anything to say to the front of her mind. No insults were at her right hand, and no ideas were at her left.

And no one was around to help, either. Everyone was at lunch; they probably couldn't even hear her screaming at him.

She extended her fingers, holding them together carefully, and jabbed Aisoku in the diaphragm as hard as she could manage at her angle. It was enough to knock the wind out of him. While his grip slackened enough for her to escape, she threw him off and ran to the door, not bothering to grab her bag as she quickly buttoned up her shirt. The bruise on her cheek was throbbing, and her split lip burning. Tears were welling up in her eyes; was he really that kind of person? To sink so low to try...

She threw open the door to the hallway and ran into an all too familiar body. She didn't dare look up at him; if he saw her, he would get Aisoku in trouble, and she didn't want something like that to happen. She could deal with her problems by herself, and she didn't want help.

"Kaizuki..."

She wasn't looking, but she could most certainly feel the waves of murderous intent coming from Itachi. If she looked up, she would've seen his eyes glowing crimson.

"What happened?"

A pair of hands pried her away from Itachi.

"Itachi!" Juritsu's voice sounded furious, "Don't ask sensitive things like that! We already know who did it!"

She turned her attention to her younger friend. "Hey, we need to get you cleaned up at least... come with me to the girls' room?"

Kaizuki stared at the floor, silently nodding as she was gently pulled down the hall by Juritsu. Her chest was tight, a lump in her throat threatening to choke her. She didn't know what to do; if he had tried it once, there was a chance he'd try again. She felt a stinging warmth on her elbow, and it wasn't hard to figure out that she had probably scraped it up.

"Sorry," she mumbled, "For making you worry."

"Don't sweat it," Juritsu replied, "It wasn't your fault. And besides, what are friends for?" She glanced over her shoulder, "Of course, we're going to have to hurry. If I don't stop him, Itachi is gonna hunt down Aisoku and murder him."

Kaizuki looked up at Juritsu, "You can go ahead and stop him... I can take care of myself." She proposed, completely disgusted with how her voice sounded.

"Kaizuki, I was _kidding_. Itachi isn't gonna go hunting down people. I'm sure he'll have a word with him, if he doesn't just go and get him expelled for that stunt he just pulled. But come on, let's clean you up, and then we can go look for Itachi. He's someone I always turn to for advice, so I'm sure he'll be able to help you."

Kaizuki returned her gaze to the ground, allowing herself to be guided. She was numb; barely registering hat was going on around her, and suddenly feeling rather lost. Was this part of the shock that came with almost being raped?

At the very least, she could still feel her cheeks throbbing, which ensured her that she hadn't spontaneously died.

Juritsu pushed the door open to the bathroom, ushering Kaizuki inside.

"You're lucky," Juritsu half-heartedly joked, "I'm aspiring to be a doctor, so I do stuff like this all the time, though it's usually to myself."

Kaizuki nodded, "Itachi wants to be a doctor too..." She remarked, trying to pull her thoughts back to the surface and regain her consciousness, "What kind of doctor are you aspiring to be?"

Juritsu smiled. "I want to be a surgeon. One that caters to athletes. Sports medicine has always fascinated me." She giggled slightly, "Itachi already promised me that if I got out of med school, his congratulatory gift would be to establish a practice with me."

Kaizuki smiled slightly, though it looked forced, "That's neat; I want to become a psychotherapist... hopefully not my own." She chuckled lightly, wanting to stab her hands so that they would stop shaking.

"Well, maybe you can make a practice with us." Juritsu offered as she put the finishing touches on the bandaging, "Okay, I'm done. Now do you want to find Itachi? Or would you rather get something to eat to help you feel a little better?"

Kaizuki shrugged, thinking about how impossible it would be for her to eat when she felt as sick as she did, and finally said, "I want to find Itachi."

Juritsu nodded, linking Kaizuki's arm with hers for comfort before heading back out in to the halls. They opened the door, and Aisoku whirled out in front of them, blue eyes blazing. Kaizuki shrank back, averting her gaze. He had _followed_ her? Was he really as crazy as she had begun to think he was?

Juritsu glared at the boy, moving Kaizuki back so she could step in front of her.

"What do you want," Juritsu growled lowly, making her murderous intent well-known.

Aisoku glared right back at her, not even blinking at the swell of her murderous intent, "I'm making sure that she's okay; is there a _problem_, Son Juritsu?" He retorted, his voice icy.

"Yes, there is, _Kenryokusha_, because _you're_ the one that hurt her. Now go away, before I decide to use your face as a punching bag."

Aisoku gritted his teeth, "You can't stand between us, you little bitch. I can and will take everything away from you if I have to!" He smirked, "I know all about you and your dead family, Juritsu. I know all about your previous adventures in school. I know everything about you, and I can ruin you forever if you get in my way."

Juritsu's eyes flashed, and a second later, she had slammed him against the wall by his throat.

"You lay even a finger on her, and _I will kill you_," her voice was low and venomous. "I don't even care if I end up in jail for life. I _will_ kill you."

She shoved him backward, glaring at him murderously, before turning, grabbing Kaizuki's wrist, and pulling her down the hall, mumbling "Let's go find Itachi."

...

"Juritsu, you look furious. What happened?"

Juritsu averted her glare to a window. "Don't worry about it," she said, patting Kaizuki gently on the shoulder before she turned to stalk back down the hallway, "I'm going up to the roof for a while. Keep an eye on her, Itachi. Aisoku's a lot more psychotic than he lets on."

Itachi watched the girl go before turned to check Kaizuki over. "Are you going to be okay?"

Kaizuki nodded, "Yea, I'm fine. It's not like this is worse that he'll do." She looked up at Itachi, a concerned look in her eyes, "On the other hand... you should probably keep an eye out for yourself, Itachi. Chances are that he's going to try and get rid of you as quickly as possible. I should probably also tell Juritsu that, or she could get hurt."

Itachi gave her a reassuring smile. "You don't have to worry about me. Thanks to Juritsu, I've had experience in dealing with those kinds of troubles. And I'm sure she'll be fine too. She's been through quite a lot herself."

Kaizuki smiled slightly, _Well, I must say that I hope that you've done a little more than street fighting, because Aisoku will beat the hell out of you otherwise._ "My wrist hurts." she remarked, glancing at the dark bruise around her arm, "He hasn't been training at all, and I'm still the one falling behind."

_I'm going to spend the night in the dojo again, I think._ She thought absentmindedly.

Itachi patted her shoulder comfortingly. "Don't worry. Juritsu and I will look out for you, at the very least. And even though you don't like him, I wouldn't be surprised if Sasuke helped out as well."

Kaizuki's smile faded slightly, and she shrugged, "I guess." It suddenly occured to her that she had left her bag on the roof. She sighed heavily, "I need to find my bag; if I'm lucky, no one took it. I left it on the roof."

"If Juritsu's up there, then you've nothing to worry about."

Kaizuki nodded, starting off down the hall, "I'm going to go home early today." She stated matter-of-factly.

"Eh? Going home early? How come?" Kaizuki paused, looking startled, and glanced up at the tall, lanky man walking towards her. His white hair was looking particularly bright in the sunlight that was feeding through the windows. She didn't recognize him _at all_.

"Well, some things happened..." She muttered, certain that this person was probably a teacher. His eyes were closed, which was fairly strange. Who was he? A teacher? She didn't think so.

"Ah, I see. I will mark it down then." He extended a hand, "Ichimaru Gin, I'm the vice-principal. I heard all about it from Itachi; I plan to have a word with Aisoku, so you don't have to worry about it." The man's smile was unnerving and a bit scary, "I hope you feel better enough to come to school tomorrow, at any rate."

Kaizuki nodded silently, and bowed respectfully before walking around him and picking up the pace to get to the roof quickly. For some reason, she was exceptionally creeped out by that man, even though he had expressed some kind of concern for her wellbeing.

...

Kaizuki pushed open the door to the roof, walking out into the sunlight and shading her hands from the brightness. She stooped down to get her bag, and glanced around, spotting Juritsu. The other girl was staring out through the fence. Kaizuki was sure that she had noticed her presence, but it was close to impossible to tell.

Juritsu continued to stare out motionlessly.

"I made sure no one touched it," she said, her voice quiet.

Kaizuki blinked, before realizing that Juritsu was talking about her bag. She stared at Juritsu bag for a moment, before smiling slightly, "Thanks, Juritsu. I hope that I can repay you, sometime..." The air was thick; Juritsu was not in a decent mood, whether she be miserable or furious.

"I'm going home early, so I will see you around..." She ended the conversation carefully, and turned around, pulling open the door.

She glanced over her shoulder once more, before heading down the stairs. On the way, she spotted a blue-haired stranger walking up towards her, probably heading for the roof. She nodded in greeting, and continued her journey down the stairs.

Meanwhile, Juritsu continued to pay no attention to reality as she looked down at the school grounds. She caught sight of Aisoku. The little bastard was sauntering down the halls like he owned the place.

He had some nerve! What the hell did he know about what happened? And it wasn't even any of his business anyway! What gave him the right to invade her personal life?

_"I know all about you and your dead family..."_

She clenched her jaw almost painfully tight, and her fist gripped the metal wiring so tightly, she bent the wires.

"Oi, if you're going to be sulking around with such a menacing aura, then at least do it somewhere else. Didn't I tell you not to make a habit of coming up here?"

Juritsu, obviously startled, whirled around ready to punch whoever was about to lunge at her. She blinked after realizing it was Grimmjow and lowered her fists, looking away in embarrassment.

Grimmjow raised his eyebrows at the gesture. "Well it's clear someone obviously has pissed you off. Though you don't come across to me as a fighter."

"I'm a martial artist. My father began teaching me the moment I could walk," Juritsu replied automatically.

"Your old man, huh? Sounds like the paranoid, over-protective type to me."

Juritsu gave him a strained smile. "I would tell you if that were true or not, but seeing as how he died years ago, I wouldn't know."

Grimmjow faltered. He was taken aback by that one. He remained speechless, even as Juritsu muttered "Excuse me," and left the roof. He watched as she left, and for the first time he could ever remember, Grimmjow Jeagerjaques felt like a genuine asshole.

"Eh? Grimm-chan is looking a little down." A voice that sounded like pure evil floated out from the direction of the door. Ichimaru walked out from the darkness and into the light, shading his eyes from the sun, even though they were already closed. His creepy demeanor wasn't any different from usual.

"What's the matter? Do you want to tell me about it? Or are you just surprised that you are having a slightly difficult time getting into Son Juritsu's pants?" The vice principal, even with his high-standing position, ever close to the actual principal Aizen, would never tire of teasing. Especially when it came to Grimmjow.

Grimmjow rolled his eyes. "I haven't made up my mind if I wanted to, you nosy jerk," he shot back, "I wasn't thinking and I said something, is all. Butt out."

Ichimaru's smile broadened and he walked over to Grimmjow's side, tilting his head to the side in mock curiosity, "What kind of thing? I probably know all about it, you know. It might even be my fault, so don't be afraid to tell."

Grimmjow scoffed. "Like they'd hire you to work at a school if you were a murderer."

Ichimaru smiled, "They? They being Aizen, right? You know that we are the best of friends, don't you?" he slung an arm over Grimmjow's shoulder, "Of course you do; after all, we are the only reason you aren't dead. Poor, poor Grimmjow; just a little baby starving in an alleyway. But you were so cute; I couldn't just leave you there. You remember it, right?"

Grimmjow shrugged off Ichimaru's arm, stepping away from the older man. "Don't remind me," he snapped, "Either way, if you really are a murderer, I could get you and your boy-toy Aizen in a ton of trouble. So leave me alone. I moved out of your sorry excuse of an orphanage for a reason."

Ichimaru stuck out his bottom lip, "I'm deeply wounded by your words, Grimm-chan." A sly smile crept onto his face, "I'm not responsible, but I do know who is. I'll see you later, Grimmjow." He waved as he took several steps backwards before turning around and walking off the roof.

Grimmjow stared at Ichimaru incredulously. There was _no way_ he knew who had done it. And how did he even know what he was talking about anyway?

"He's just full of shit," he muttered to himself, though he couldn't help but wonder who really _did_ kill Juritsu's father.

Little did he know, that was only the tip of the iceberg.

...

Kaizuki finished wrapping up her bento in the purple cloth that went around it and grabbed her bag as she headed for the door. A sense of dread was in the pit of her stomach. When she had first woken up and glanced out the window, she had seen a black car pull up in front of her house. Aisoku usually rode in a black car, so that color was like taboo in her house.

She strode over to the door and pulled it open, finding herself face to face with Aisoku, as she had virtually predicted. He took a step forward, and she remained rooted to her spot, not even considering letting him in.

"What are you doing here?"

Aisoku looked desperate, whether it be for answers or for her love (neither of which he would likely get). He stared at her in silence for a long moment.

"What is he to you?"

Kaizuki blinked as she stared Aisoku, a bewildered look on her face, "He who? There are a lot of guys in the world, so I'm going to have to ask you to be a little more specific."

"Itachi!" Aisoku snapped, "Uchiha Itachi; what is he to you!? You obviously like him, but how much?" The world seemed to stop moving for at least a few seconds as Kaizuki stared at Aisoku with wide eyes.

_Like him or not?_ She thought, the level of panic rising rapidly as she lost her ability to think of a way to answer to such a question, _Well, I like him, but I don't like him like that! He's always looking out for me, but then again, we're friends so that's natural!_

"I only like him as a friend." She deadpanned, "Now get away from my house."

"You're lying," Aisoku said, taking another step forward. This time Kaizuki took a step back, leaning away from him carefully and feeling her heartbeat steadily rising.

"Get out of my house, and off of my property, Aisoku. I'm not kidding with you." She said slowly, a warning look in her eyes, "We've had this conversation before. I won't fall for anyone, because you would hurt them if I did."

"I saw you," he said, his voice a slight bit louder than before, "I saw you; you were with him the other day, you were talking to him. You looked nervous to be around him. You always look a little bit nervous around him."

"I'm not in love with anyone, let alone do I have a crush! Go away!" Kaizuki suddenly barked, lifting her leg and kicking him in the stomach. He stumbled backward and she slammed her door shut, locking it before he had a chance to open it.

"Kai-chan, don't ignore me! You wouldn't act like this about such a simple question if you didn't like him!" Aisoku shouted through the wood. Kaizuki set her things on the nearby table and took several steps away from the door, half-expecting him to break it down.

"I won't let him capture your heart, even if it means that I have to kill him!"

Her eyes widened color draining from her face, "Y-you wouldn't! Don't you dare lay a hand on any of my friend, you bastard! You promised you wouldn't do that ever again!"

He didn't answer. She heard the sound of a car pulling away; he hadn't heard her, most likely. She fell to her knees, pulling at her hair in a painful mixture of fear and rage. What if he wasn't kidding? What if he did send someone after Itachi, like he had done in middle school? What if that happened all over again? What if she couldn't do anything to help?

She didn't want the same thing that had happened to Kiku to happen to Itachi. She didn't even love Itachi, she was sure, but if Aisoku thought she did, then he could be in danger.

...

Itachi sighed as he briskly walked down the street towards his house. He was irritated with himself after having discovered that he had forgotten the lesson plan for the class he was supposed to teach today (the other teacher was out sick). The strained relationship between him and his brother was starting to take a toll on him. He _really_ needed to hit something.

"Uchiha Itachi?" an unfamiliar voice spoke up, catching his attention as a group of four walked out into the open from an alleyway.

"Strong, fast, only living family member is younger brother Uchiha Sasuke. The rest of their immediate family is dead. He shouldn't be taken lightly." The second person to speak, black hair, red eyes, held a PDA in his hand and was flipping through a small database that was probably on Itachi himself.

"How much is the pay per person?"

"100,000 yen." a second, much younger kid answered, "This guy looks tough, but it's not like he's able to take on five people on his own. This'll be a piece of cake."

The apparent leader walked forward, "Yo, Itachi, right?" He said with a smile, "The name's Doumyouji."

Itachi raised an eyebrow, sizing them up for a brief moment, before turning to face them fully.

"It's nice to meet you, Doumyouji-kun," the older man replied, his voice akin to ice, "I'm _not_ in a very good mood today, I'm sorry to say. You might want to rethink your plans."

Doumyouji snorted, "I'm sorry to here that, Itachi, but you see, we've been hired to take you out. You're head is worth 100,000 yen, and I just simply couldn't pass up such an offer."

Doumyouji started forward, and a moment later the five of them had surrounded Itachi. The group didn't seem to worry the older man, which was fairly unnerving for Doumyouji. However, he remembered that Itachi was supposedly rather powerful and fast, so he was probably underestimating them.

"Aoi," Doumyouji spoke up, looking past Itachi at a blue eyed menace who appeared to be having trouble containing her excitement, "Control yourself this time; we almost got in tons of trouble last time thanks to you."

Aoi, who was standing directly behind Itachi, giggled hysterically, "He's so cute, I just want to eat him right up!" She chewed her thumb until she drew blood.

Itachi eyed each kid as he took off his backpack and tossed it aside. He then calmly rolled his sleeves up.

"Well, I suppose ignorance really is the epitome of stupidity..." he turned his murderous glare on Doumyouji as he took a stand, "You're sorely mistaken, and I'll be sure that you're fully aware of that when I'm done."

...

_"Son Juritsu and Uchiha Sasuke; please report to the main office."_ the rather familiar sing-song voice of Ichimaru Gin rang through the halls, calling out the pair.

Juritsu looked up, skin paling. She _and_ Sasuke? Why?!

She walked down the halls briskly, wanted very much to get it over with. Sasuke rounded a corner up ahead, noticed her, and stopped to wait for her. He fell into step beside her.

"I hope that whatever this is, is has nothing to do with your girlfriend," Juritsu seethed, not even glancing up at him.

Sasuke flinched slightly, looking ahead and feeling genuinely all-around miserable.

"Juritsu, I'm..."

"Save it, Sasuke. I don't want to hear it."

They walked into the main office, completely silent. Juritsu looked aggravated, and Sasuke looked upset. Neither would look in the other's direction.

Kaizuki jumped out of the chair she had been forced by Ichimaru to sit in and dashed over to them. She glanced between the two of them for only a second before she rounded on Sasuke.

"Where is Itachi? Is he here? Ichimaru said that he had to go home for something. Is that true?" She spoke quickly, clenching and unclenching her fists as if she wanted to punch someone or something.

Juritsu looked suspicious. Sasuke's eyebrows furrowed.

"Yea... he told me earlier. What's going on?" he asked slowly.

Kaizuki bit her lip, "I need you, Sasuke, to lead me and Juritsu down the same route Itachi always takes to go home." She paused, and swallowed before continuing, "Aisoku sent a group of people after Itachi, and I'm worried, so I want to find him. And since Aisoku isn't in school, I can't make him call them off." She fell silent, suddenly coming to an understanding that, if Itachi broke a bone, or got badly hurt, or even slightly hurt, it was her fault.

Sasuke's eyes widened in horror. Juritsu, however, looked completely enraged. Her eyes looked wild with fury.

"Come on, it's this way," Sasuke took off down the hall, Kimmie and Juritsu following him closely. The trio sprinted along the route Itachi usually walked, frantically trying to find him. To their dismay, he was nowhere to be found.

In a last attempt, they went to the brother's home.

Sasuke burst through the door, calling "ITACHI! Are you here?!"

There was a thump from upstairs, and the three of them shared a glance.

Juritsu was the first up the stairs, her anger completely obliterating any fear of an assailant. If anything, she was afraid for the assailant; when she got her hands on him...

She threw open the bathroom door, guessing that room to be the source of the noise. She froze, her arms dropping to her sides.

Itachi was glancing up at her from his spot next to the bath tub. He looked like a mess.

"Itachi..." Juritsu said his name, unable to think of anything else. Sasuke and Kaizuki appeared behind her.

"Aren't you... supposed to be in class right now?" Itachi asked between wheezes. He was clearly in a great deal of pain.

"Are you okay?" Kaizuki asked, her eyes filled with concern. She didn't think she had ever been so weighed down with guilt in her life, even though it was only indirectly her fault.

"Somehow, I'm okay," Itachi replied quietly. Juritsu kneeled down and began tending to him.

"Well it looks like you haven't lost it," Juritsu said, her light-heartedness only superficial. Everyone in the room could feel how angry she was.

Itachi smiled. "I'd never lose it," he winced as she poked his chest, "I fractured a couple of ribs."

Kaizuki clenched her fists around the fabric of her skirt and stared at the tiled floor of the bathroom, "Sorry..." she mumbled quietly, "This is all my fault."

Itachi glanced up at her. "You told Aisoku to call his lackeys?" he asked with a raised eyebrow. When she didn't reply, he continued, "Don't apologize. You didn't cause Aisoku to be the way he is now."

Kaizuki glanced up at him, "He thinks that I have a crush on you, and I didn't give him a straight answer, because I was too busy trying to get him off my doorstep..." She trailed off into silence.

"That doesn't make it your fault, Kaizuki," Itachi reassured her.

"It's definitely not your fault," Juritsu suddenly growled, cutting off Itachi, "It's not your fault he's a desperate loser that needs a frontal lobotomy!"

She stood up. "I'm going back to school," she said, before stalking out of the room and leaving the house.

Kaizuki stared after her, mentally cheering on the fact that Aisoku had decided to skip school. She reached up a hand and ground her index and middle fingers into her temple for a moment.

"I ought to be going as well..." She mumbled, "Take care of yourself, Itachi."

Not wanting to be there a moment more, she hastily left, never intending to go back to school. Surprisingly, her destination was very close to the lonely house in the woods that belonged to the two Uchiha brothers.

The walk only took twenty minutes, and nothing had changed since the last time she had been there. It wasn't the anniversary or anything similar; she just needed someone to talk to.

Kaizuki stood in front of a gray stone grave, staring at the carving of a name she refused to let herself forget, no matter how old she grew. This person, a boy she had loved and still did... it was her fault that he had died.

Honda Kiku

1994-2007

...

Juritsu rang the doorbell to the extremely huge mansion. She didn't let the size of the building of the fact that Aisoku's family was the strongest in Japan deter her. She was more than fed up with his stalker-like antics, especially when he went and hurt someone who was very dear to her, inadvertently hurting other people who were dear to her as well.

For a moment, there was only silence that emitted from the mansion. Finally, she heard a click of the doorknob, and watched as it was pulled open. A butler stood before her, his expression empty and rather lifeless.

"Good afternoon," the man said, "What can I do for you?"

"I want to speak with Aisoku. Is he available?" she asked, keeping the anger out of her voice.

The blonde stared at her for a moment, before nodding and stepping out of the way, "Please come in; I will take you to his room." He said politely, stepping out of the way.

Juritsu walked in with confidence, and while she hid it well, she was blown away by the size and fanciness of the interior. It was as if a king lived here.

He led the way through the massive entrance hall, up a set of a stairs and then down the hallway. The way he carried himself indicated that he was not a willing servant of the Kenryokusha. Perhaps he had been born into such a life? It wasn't important.

"My name is Kira Izuru," he spoke up, "I will be the one in charge of what you do within this house as of today... I hope you wouldn't mind me asking you to keep your temper in check."

Juritsu blinked at the blonde in surprise. Though she automatically could tell he was a sincere man, and he was clearly suffering.

"I'll be sure to do just that," she reassured him, "You have my word."

_I doubt I can say the same for Aisoku._

Kira stopped before a pair of double doors and knocked three times, waiting for an answer.

"Enter, Izuru." He pushed the doors open, and walked in, signaling Juritsu to wait where she was.

"Young Master, there is a girl from Mitsuhashi Academy here to see you." he explained.

Aisoku looked up from his desk, turning around in his chair to face Kira, a warm smile on his face, "Please, let her come in."

Kira nodded, stepping aside for Juritsu to enter the room.

Juritsu walked in, giving Kira a warm smile before turning her attention on Aisoku.

"Well for a boy carrying the surname of the most powerful family in the country, you sure don't take your studies seriously," she remarked coolly, "I hope you don't end up failing."

Aisoku chuckled, "I could say the same to you, Juritsu," He replied, "You're missing school for the sake of coming to see me? I'm flattered."

"Don't be. This is the first time I've ever intentionally skipped, and I'm one of the top in our class," she replied sweetly, "Too bad I can't say the same for you. You're not nearly as lucky as you seem to think you are."

Aisoku didn't falter, "Aside from that, do tell why you have traveled such distances to visit me. Or are you upset about the little scrimmage between Doumyouji and Itachi?"

"Oh, I was giving you Itachi's regards. He says that your thugs really suck at fighting and he didn't even need to use both hands. Aside from that, _why_ exactly, did you drag him into this? He hasn't done anything to you."

Aisoku made a mock-surprised face, and chuckled lightly, "For someone who's at the top of the class, you aren't very smart, are you, Juritsu? It's not hard to figure out. Think about it for a minute."

"It's not that I'm stupid. It's that you're completely selfish and horrendously oblivious, dear Aisoku," Juritsu replied sweetly, giving him an angelic smile.

Aisoku's smile looked slightly strained, "Oblivious and selfishness... I cannot deny that I am both of those. It comes with the turf."

"But how will you win over Kaizuki's heart if you have those qualities?"

Aisoku laughed, "Win her heart? Who said I was going to do that?" His expression darkened to a point of looking sinister, "I don't 'win' things, Juritsu. I take them, and Kaizuki isn't an exception. If she won't submit, then I will just ground her into the dirt until she does."

Juritsu's smile darkened. "Ah, so that's how you really are," she strolled up to his desk and slammed her fists down, cracking the wood, "Well, I suppose that means I'll just have to make sure that _you_ are the one ground under _my_ foot. Your threats don't scare me, Aisoku. People have been trying to take advantage of my situation my entire life. And you are no exception."

She stood up, her smile replace with an icy glare. "I hope you enjoy the rest of your day." She turned and began walking towards the door.

Aisoku smiled at her back, his blue eyes glowing with a strange light of hatred and anger. He chuckled, which turned into a soft laughter.

"Good luck, Son Juritsu." He said maliciously, "I wish you a good night."

Juritsu caught sight of Kira as she headed towards the entrance.

"Thank you for letting me in," she said, slightly apologetic, "I didn't attack your master, but I dented his desk. I apologize for that."

Kira forced a polite smile, "Its fine; I was more worried that you would hit him. A broken desk isn't as bad as a punch to the face."

Juritsu smiled slightly. "Sorry again," she bowed, "Let me know if I have to pay anything back. But I'll take my leave now."

Kira nodded, pulling open the door for her, "Have a good night." He said, bowing slightly as she left.


	4. Chapter 4

**_Chapter Four_**

...

Juritsu adjusted her backpack as she walked down the halls, keeping an eye peeled for Kaizuki. She had to at least figure out a way to watch out for her friend. She had a very bad feeling from Aisoku's words the night before.

Speaking of the Devil, she looked up in time to see Aisoku walk into the homeroom they shared. He glanced up, giving her a warm smile before entering the room.

Rolling her eyes, Juritsu went back to searching for Kaizuki. To her dismay, the girl never showed.

She was beginning to grow frantic. Where could she have gone?! She glared across the room at Aisoku. That bastard better not have done anything...

She shook her head to calm herself. Now wasn't the time to be raging over something she couldn't currently do anything about. A plan was in order. She would ask Itachi at lunch time if Kaizuki had shown up.

Unfortunately, that wasn't the case.

"I haven't seen her since yesterday," Itachi replied, wincing slightly.

"How are your ribs?" Juritsu asked.

"They're sore, but as long as I don't move around too much, I'm fine."

"You'd better make sure you're not alone. At least make sure someone's with you until you're back to full strength."

Itachi smiled slightly. Juritsu sighed as she looked out the window.

"If Kaizuki doesn't come into school tomorrow, I'm going to find her." she declared.

Ichimaru Gin looked up at Juritsu burst into his office. It was the end of the day, and Juritsu looked like a crazed cat.

"I need to look at Kaizuki's school records," she said hastily, "I need to know her address."

Ichimaru's smile was a little worn out compared to usual, but that didn't mean he wasn't his usually cheery self.

"Eh? What could you possibly want with Kai-chan's records?"

"I just need to know where she lives. This is kind of important, Ichimaru-sensei."

The door opened, and Aisoku walked in, looking fairly high and mighty with a look of complete smugness on his face. Ichimaru stood up, fetching the records for Juritsu. As he returned, he pulled out a note from his pocket. He handed the files to Juritsu, and the note to Aisoku.

"Did it all go well?"

Ichimaru nodded pleasantly, "Yes. He sends his regards."

Aisoku nodded, glancing over at Juritsu, "Oh, are you looking for Kaizuki's address? She's probably still at home, hiding."

Juritsu didn't listen to Aisoku, instead copying down the address. Nodding in thanks to Ichimaru, she shoved past Aisoku, glaring at him on the way out.

Half an hour later, Juritsu was staring at Kaizuki's house. Taking a deep breath, she marched up to the door, knocking firmly.

For a long moment, there was only silence. She heard a light laugh from within the house, and the door was cracked open slightly, stopping harshly when it was paused in its movement by a chain.

"It's a friend of mine; I have to go." Kaizuki spoke into the receiver of a phone as she closed the door and unlocked it, "I'll talk to you later, Ivan."

Juritsu blinked, slightly confused.

"Um... hi..." she said awkwardly, wondering if she was just being paranoid.

Kaizuki closed her phone and stuffed it into her pocket, looking slightly concerned at Juritsu's sudden visit, and obviously exhausted, "Something wrong?" She asked, the shadows under her eyes more than noticeable.

"Actually, I was coming to ask you the same thing," Juritsu rubbed her back of her head sheepishly, "It's just that you haven't been to school, and Itachi and I were worried. Even Sasuke was worried..."

Kaizuki smiled, "Yea... I decided to stay home for a few days. I'm sorry for making you worry." She bowed her head slightly in apology, "How is Itachi?"

"Itachi's doing better. Still sore, but I guess I can't blame him. You know he's not mad at you. I've gotten him into far worse situations in the past."

Kaizuki shrugged, "I know he's not mad at me, but that doesn't really mean anything. If me being around him will put him in any kind of danger, then I'd rather cut all ties while he has a chance. He might be strong, but it's not like he can fight against everyone in the underground. I don't know much about Itachi, so... I don't know what Aisoku might do."

Juritsu raised an eyebrow. "Are you really going to let Aisoku have his way?"

Kaizuki looked up at Juritsu, his smile disappearing in an instant. The bitterness in her eyes showed, along with a sudden flare of anger, "I'm not giving up." She replied after a moment of silence, "I don't know what you might have gone through in a lifetime, but you don't know what I've been enduring either. I don't want to fight him. I don't want to fight anyone. Not after what happened to Kiku..."

Juritsu's eyes narrowed. "Well, if you aren't fighting, then he's already won," she snapped, "I don't really care what you're endured your whole life. I _can_ tell you that my life has pretty much been hell. But that didn't stop me from fighting. It never did. Maybe if you would _start_ fighting for a change, things wouldn't turn out the way they did."

Angrily, Juritsu whirled around, storming down the stairs and off in the direction of her house.


	5. Chapter 5

**_Chapter Five_**

...

It was drizzling the next day, the clouds thinking considerably about raining as they steadily began to drip rain upon the world. Kaizuki held her umbrella over her head, walking down the sidewalk to the school, shadows beneath her eyes. She reached up with her free hand and rubbed them, glancing at the middle of her index finger to establish the amount of eyeliner she had just smeared and rubbing off. Not too much.

About ten minutes later, she walked into her homeroom, sitting down and resting her head on her bag, steadily closing her eyes. She was _exhausted_, which was to be expected. Not sleeping for a couple of days does that to a person.

Juritsu was already sitting at her desk, and avoided looking at Kaizuki as she came in and sat next to her. There was nothing she could say. She was surprised that Kaizuki hadn't about flipped out when she lost her temper.

_Probably hates me. Good job, Juri. You did it again, as usual. _

She pointedly ignored Sasuke as he came in. He glanced over towards her, looking guilty but not nearly as miserable as he did when she had originally confronted him. This led her to believe that he was getting over it. _Whatever_, she internally snapped, _if he can move on and fall for that pink-haired slut, then I can move on too._

She rubbed her eyes vigorously. She hadn't gotten too much sleep the night before, as the previous day had been rather stressful.

"Tired?" Kaizuki's voice mumbled its way into Juritsu's hearing, and when she glanced over, the younger student was staring at her fixedly, "You look it, at any rate."

The even stare was almost unnerving. Juritsu didn't let it bother her.

"Not as tired as you seem to look," Juritsu replied turning back to her notes, or lack thereof, "It's been a tad bit stressful."

Mr. Kirkland entered the room, staring hard at a sheet of paper as if it were the Devil. He looked slightly irate, but the expression cleared up as he turned to face the class, "Class, we are welcoming a new student today."

Kaizuki looked up, raising her eyebrow, "What is with all the new students?"

Juritsu's eyes narrowed suspiciously. This had better not have anything to do with Aisoku...

A boy with long blonde hair entered the room, looking generally pissed off at the world. His sharp blue eyes glanced around the room, and he scoffed. He stopped beside the teacher's desk and glowered at the class for a moment.

"Deidara," He said icily, "My name is Deidara."

Juritsu raised an eyebrow, wondering just what was up with the guy. It was like he had a chip on his shoulder or something.

Mr. Kirkland raised an eyebrow, "Do you have a last name, Deidara?"

He threw a dirty glance at the teacher, "No, I don't. Can I sit down now?" Mr. Kirkland clicked his tongue impatiently, looking around the room. He found an empty seat behind Sasuke.

"You can sit there," He said, indicating the empty seat. Deidara stalked over, sitting down in his designated area.

_This is annoying; I was supposed to be killing hundreds of people today, and instead I'm attending a fucking school._

As Deidara walked past, Sasuke was glaring murderously at him. Juritsu noticed this, her eyebrows furrowing in confusion. He knew the new student?

...

Juritsu was sitting at her new and usual spot with Itachi and Kaizuki. Sasuke stalked over, looking perturbed.

He stopped in front of Itachi, grabbing his arm and pulling him up.

"We need to talk," he said lowly. Itachi looked slightly confused at first, but it slowly gave way to concern.

Before Sasuke could drag his brother off, the familiar voice of the new student came from seemingly nowhere. Upon actually looking up, all four of them spotted him standing only a few feet away with a shorter, red haired boy.

"Itachi; long time no see." He said with a slight smirk, "I was supposed to be in Tokyo today, but that was all ruined _just_ because of you. The Leader hasn't changed at all."

Itachi's eyes widened slightly before narrowing in hatred. _Now_ he understood why his brother was so agitated.

"I apologize for your Leader's thick-headed stubbornness," he growled lowly, "You can go right back to him and inform him that my answer will not change. I left my family for a reason."

Juritsu's eyes widened in realization, remembering the red-head from an encounter a long time ago. Itachi had taken her to his home-city, to the medical center where he was studying, because she was in bad shape. The red-head had come across them. Needless to say, it wasn't pretty.

Deidara sneered, "Are you kidding me? The Leader is already perfectly fine with coming out himself to hunt you down." He paused, suddenly looking angry, "I would prefer if you didn't join anyway; I'm only here because I look like the appropriate age. I can't exactly come here and say that I'm studying to blow up schools."

Sasori sighed, looking at Itachi calmly, "At any rate, The Leader wants to talk to you himself, so he says he'll be dropping by here or your house to say hello. Deidara, we need to report back. Let's go."

Deidara nodded silently, throwing the small group one last glare before following Sasori out of the cafeteria.

"You ought to tell him to save him breath," Itachi growled under his breath. Sasuke's murderous glare hadn't relented one bit.

"Sasuke," he continued, looking down at his brother, who stared right back at him, "Let's go talk."

The two brothers briskly left the cafeteria, most likely to go to the roof. Juritsu watched them go before resting her head in her hands and let out a long sigh.

Kaizuki tilted her head slightly, "What was that all about?"

"Itachi left his family for a very specific reason. A relative of his is the head of a criminal organization, Akatsuki. Itachi's a prodigy; he's a superb martial artist, and genius, pretty good at everything. His relative wants him to join, and he said no, basically. Not to mention he was being bothered by a lot of other people in the family to do one thing or another. Eventually he got tired of it, and disowned himself from the family. Sasuke followed him. They've been here ever since, but if Akatsuki's going to go so far as to track them down..."

Juritsu then glanced over at Kaizuki, "That's why I was telling you to get over that whole 'causing trouble' crap. We were causing trouble for each other long before you transferred in."

"What's this about causing trouble?" Aisoku's smug voice trailed around the room like a poisonous gas as he crept up behind Kaizuki and placed his hands on her shoulders, rubbing them comfortingly, "What happened?"

Kaizuki smacked his hands away irritably, putting her bento box back together and wrapping it up in the purple cloth that she used to carry it.

Juritsu glowered at him. "It doesn't concern you," she snapped, "Butt out for a change."

Aisoku's smile, if it was possible, became even more irritating, "It wouldn't happen to involve something bad, would it?" He had a sickeningly smug look on his face. Kaizuki's eyes widened slightly, and she stood up, turning around to face him. She promptly smacked him across the face, sending him stumbling a few steps.

"I can't get you expelled because you're blackmailing Ichimaru, and I can't fight you, because you're stronger than me." She growled, the rage in her eyes burning, "But I swear to fucking God, _Ai-chan_, if you keep up this bullshit about involving everyone I'm friends with, then I will hate you forever, and I will never forgive you," she paused, eyes narrowing, "And I will never fulfill our promise."

Aisoku's eyes widened slightly, "You...!" he began, but stopped himself as he realized that he could not think of anything to say.

"Send Yugao my regards." Kaizuki growled, "I might be seeing him again soon."

Without another word, Aisoku stalked off, at a complete loss of what he could or should do. He left the cafeteria, probably intending to run home and call his mother in France, or his father in Russia

Juritsu was completely speechless. She actually _did_ something?

"Geez, took you long enough," Juritsu sighed, resting her head in her hands once again.


	6. Chapter 6

**_Chapter Six_**

...

The day started out uneventfully. Unsurprisingly, Deidara wasn't in school.

"Most likely, it was a one-time trip," Juritsu remarked as Sasuke followed her to homeroom.

"Yea... Um Juritsu..."

She sighed, glancing at him over her shoulder. "Look, I'm perfectly willing to get over this and move on," she said, her voice slightly exasperated, "It isn't going to help if you won't drop it."

Sasuke had a pleading look in his eyes. Juritsu rolled her eyes in response, smacking him upside the head.

"You made your decision," she said firmly, voice softening slightly as she gave him a small smile, "She's better for you than I am. Just don't do anything stupid, like I did."

"I'm sorry."

Juritsu paused in her steps, turning and staring at him slowly.

"I really am sorry for hurting you. I just... didn't know how to without... and I was too cowardly. Just... can we be friends again?"

The look in her eyes softened, and she sighed.

"I forgave you a long time ago, Sasuke. I'll be your friend again, in _time_. Just don't expect me to ever consider Sakura a human being."

Before Sasuke could say another word, the bell rang and they were taking their seats.

Itachi, in the meantime, was taking a breather on the roof. It was a stressful night and he couldn't get any sleep.

_Just what are you thinking, Madara..._

"What kind of thoughts you are having, I wonder," came a deep voice of the one that Itachi had just been thinking of. The door to the roof slammed shut with a slightly heavy breeze. The older of the two walked over to Itachi's side, staring at the gorgeous beginning-of-autumn scenery.

"You always did have an eye for beauty, Itachi," He remarked, making a mock-stunned face at the fiery red mountains.

"You already know what I'm going to say Madara," Itachi replied coolly, "You're wasting your time by coming out here."

Madara looked offended, "What kind of idiot do you think I am? I didn't come all the way here just to beg you, Itachi," He winked, which would likely be the most disturbing thing he did that entire day, "Is it so wrong for me to want to see you after such a long time of being apart? I kind of miss your cheerful demeanor."

Itachi raised an eyebrow. "I don't recall ever being a cheerful kind of person. Not since my parents died of that disease."

Madara smiled slightly, "Have you gotten it yet? I hear it's genetic." He looked slightly concerned, if that was even possible, "You look a little pale; or are you just not getting enough sleep?"

"I'm fine. I'm more worried about Sasuke," Itachi replied absent-mindedly, "I'll find a cure before I die. And I'll make sure he gets the treatment before he contracts the disease as well."

Madara smiled, "You're still as much of a 'good brother' as I remember. But honestly, if you contract it and die, then how will you defend Sasuke? You should think these things through and take better care of yourself. You look thinner, too."

Itachi turned to finally look at Madara, an icy glare gracing his features. "If you do so much as lay a finger on him, Madara, you _will_ regret it."

Madara looked highly offended, "You think so lowly of me, Itachi! I wouldn't harm him just to get to you; it's something people with low self-esteem would do." He smiled cheerily, "I'm not the person you should be weary of; Orochimaru got out of prison. He's looking for a new test subject, and Kabuto is with him. He knows that he can't get to you if I'm watching, so he figures he'll go after you brother, who isn't being protected by the mafia."

"He won't go after Sasuke, and if he does, he'll regret it as well," Itachi shot back, "He has sorely underestimated my brother and I."

Madara chuckled, "It's good to know that you haven't lost your spark, after all these years of being holed up in a peaceful place." He glanced over at the younger, "Do you still spar with Sasuke, or is that for children? Like sharing the bath and playing 'ninja'?"

"I don't just spar with Sasuke. I have a life outside of the only relative I actually acknowledge, you know."

"Oh, you mean Juritsu, right? I've heard a wholesome bunch about her." The other remarked casually, "Deidara wants another round with you, by the way. Fair fight; he thinks he's stronger than you by now, just like he did the last time he met up with you."

Itachi glared at him, while replying, "Deidara probably won't stand a chance. And no, I don't plan on fighting him. I have a career to maintain."

Madara nodded, "That's what I told him, but he's fairly insistent. If he happens to find out where you live and show up on your doorsteps some random night, then it's not my fault. Besides, he should be in Tokyo with Hidan right now. Bombing a church or something like that, I think..."

"If he 'happens to find out' where I live, you'll find that I've left the country. I do hope you keep your lackeys in check. And make sure they stay away from Sasuke, Juritsu, and Kaizuki."

"Kaizuki?" Madara blinked, looking like he was trying to remember something, "That name sounds oddly familiar... I'll have to look that up or something." He turned to face Itachi again, "How is Sasuke, anyway? Is he looking healthier than you?"

"Sasuke's just fine," Itachi replied calmly.

Madara hummed in reply, glancing over at Itachi again, "It was good seeing you again, though, Itachi. I suppose it wouldn't hurt if you joined me for coffee sometime," He said with a smile, "I'm not like I used to be, you know, just like you're a lot different too."

Itachi raised his eyebrow skeptically. "And why should I believe you? I made that mistake before, and I nearly got my little brother killed."

"And you really think that I would go for such a low attack again, when I just told you to keep and eye out for Orochimaru?" He raised an eyebrow, "Even _I_ mature after a while, Itachi. All of the Akatsuki is in China, with the exception of Deidara and Hidan, and they're miles away in Tokyo. I'm the only one here at this point. I've never gone back on a promise in all my life, so I'll promise here and now that I will never attack anyone close to you again."

Itachi scrutinized him for a long moment.

"I won't make any guarantees," Itachi replied slowly, "I don't trust you at all. But I'll think about your offer for coffee."

Madara smiled, "That's the power of optimism, Itachi! See, you're learning." He turned around and started towards the door, "I have to head back to the hotel," he said, "But I'll give you a call tomorrow to see if you've made up your mind."

Itachi rolled his eyes. "Don't be a nag, or I'll change my mind," he called. The door slammed shut with a sound of laughter from Madara, and Itachi was left in silence on the roof.

Itachi sighed irritably as his cell phone went off. He picked it up and answered.

"Madara, it's 8am."

Sasuke glowered at the phone. Itachi had briefed him on the situation, and he didn't like it one bit.

"Really? Goddamn this watch." Madara said in disbelief, "I fixed it yesterday!"

Itachi's eye twitched. "The sun has only been up for an hour and a half, and you didn't realize it was 8am."

"The blinds are closed; Pein's eyes are as sensitive as ever." was the simple reply, "Did I wake you up? I'm sorry... I was up early, so I'm a little disoriented

Itachi sighed in defeat. "I was already awake. When did you want to meet?"

"Whenever. I suppose I can come and pick you up at noon or something." Madara replied, "The place I have in mind is in town, and since you live on the end of the planet, I wouldn't want to make you walk."

"It's not at the end of the world, Madara. Noon it is."

"I'll see you then, Itachi." He sounded a bit more cheerful as he said that, but the underlying tone of seriousness was a bit more pronounced than usual. The line when dead as the two hung up at approximately the same time.

Noon came around at an odd speed; it was slow, but at the same time, fast. The minutes dragged by, but if either of the two brothers took their eyes of the clock for even a second, at least five minutes would fly by unnoticed.

Finally, the doorbell sounded, almost exactly ten minutes after noon. Madara's manners hadn't dulled.

Sasuke remained at his seat on the couch, not wanting to even spare the distant cousin a glance. Itachi opened the door. "Hello Madara."

Madara smiled, "Good afternoon, Itachi. Are you ready?" He asked politely. Itachi nodded, following Madara out and to the car.

The ride was uneventful. Madara brought them to a chic little cafe downtown.

"So?" Itachi asked, "What is it? There's a reason you've taken me here."

Madara smiled, "Well, I know the owner of this place really well, so I can be sure that it's secure." He said, leading the way into the cafe.

"Oh, Tobi-kun, what brings you here?" A white haired waiter walked over to them, leading the way to an empty table for two.

"Filling my darling relative in on the recent news."

The waiter looked curious as he handed the two of them a menu, and pulled out a tiny notebook, "What can I get for you two today?"

"I'll have a cappuccino, please," Itachi remarked, watching Madara, "Since this is a secure place, whatever you have to tell me must be very important."

"I'll have the usual, Ukitake." The white haired man nodded, walking off to get their coffees.

Madara watched him go before turning to Itachi, his smile fading slightly, "Yes, it's very important." He replied, his voice serious, "First of all, it seems that Yami is looking to get back in touch with Juritsu; they're sending someone to get in touch with her for them; someone she either doesn't know, or does know and doesn't hate."

Itachi's eyes narrowed. "Yami? I thought they had given up trying to recruit her. After Royuzanpaku left to fight them, the attacks on her ceased."

The other man shrugged, "I haven't been able to get any intel on that, but they dispersed for a while, at the very least, and it seems like they've come back together. If I'm not mistaken, the idea is to isolate her again, and perhaps threaten her."

Ukitake returned with a tray, setting down their coffee in front of them, "If you want more, then just flag me down."

Madara nodded, smiling earnestly, "Thank you, Ukitake."

Itachi rubbed his eyes, feeling anger well up inside of him.

"They won't just leave her alone..." he muttered to himself, "I wasn't too involved in her life back when her troubles were at their peak but she told me everything..." he looked up at Madara, "Should I warn Juritsu? Or is it too late for that already?"

Madara shook his head, "It's far from too late. They haven't even arrived in town, I don't think." He looked up as a pair of men in black suites walked in, accompanied by a kid not much younger than Sasuke. Madara tilted his head slightly, recognizing him as a Kenryokusha. He sighed, stirred his coffee with his index finger absentmindedly.

"There is one more thing I was going to tell you..." He muttered, "But maybe it's better if I don't tell you right away." It was clear that Madara wanted him to ask; he wasn't being very subtle about it at all.

"Just tell me," Itachi cut in, his voice tense, "You know I hate it when you beat around the bush like this."

Madara smirked slightly, "You didn't really think that we were about to just find you out of nowhere right?" he said, his voice much more serious than his apparently excited expression. It seemed almost like he was expecting Itachi to jump up and attack someone.

"Kenryokusha Aisoku," He said, "Tipped us off to your location. He also arranged for Orochimaru to be freed, and paid him to go after Sasuke. He even went so far as to tell Yami about Juritsu, where she was, and paid them a considerable amount of money to get their members back together and hunt her again."

At first, Itachi didn't react. Slowly, though, he face darkened to a murderous glare.

"Is that so," he replied lowly, staring out of the corner of his eye to the person in question. For Aisoku to stoop that low, just to keep Kaizuki all to himself…

This was war.

Madara's smile didn't fade even the slightest, "He cannot be expelled, because he's blackmailing Ichimaru Gin, who works at the school. He can't be arrested for his crimes, because his parents could bail him out of anything, and they absolutely would." He paused, taking a drink from his mug, "I don't know if Kaizuki has told you about this, but Aisoku killed a 13 year old boy when they were in middle school. Kaizuki and the boy were in love, but hadn't confessed. Aisoku arranged to have the boy, Honda Kiku, hit by a car and killed. He bailed the person who did it out of prison, and the whole thing died down within a couple of days."

Madara looked at Itachi seriously, "That kid will kill to get his way, Itachi. He's ruined lives to the point of causing suicide, and never blinked."

Itachi's expression, if anything, darkened even more.

"Well, he has no idea who he's messing with," Itachi growled lowly, glancing at Madara, "And? What are you going to do? Go back to your headquarters?"

The older Uchiha shook his head, "No, I have business to take care of here, and I have to keep a special eye on you, because if you get yourself run over by a bus, then everyone at home will kill me." He chuckled, looking over at Aisoku, who was receiving a generous payment from Ukitake.

Itachi raised an eyebrow. "Was that your subtle way of offering me help?"

Madara shrugged, "Was it that subtle?" His phone went off again, and he answered it, "Talk to me."

His expression darkened, and he pulled out his wallet, "We ought to head back." He said, glancing up as Ukitake took the cue and wandered over with their bill.

"Something happen?" Ukitake asked, taking in Madara's expression.

"Only the usual."

"The usual being murder, kidnapping, and overall death?"

Madara snorted, "Not _that_ kind of usual, though you are rather close."

Itachi's eyes widened a fraction. "What happened," he demanded as they stood up and took care of the pay.

Madara glanced up at Itachi, "Nothing yet, probably, unless Sasori was lying to me." He said, "It seems that there's a lurker hanging around your house, so we're going to head back there and make sure that Sasuke is still alive."

Itachi's eyes widened, and tore out of the cafe. He threw himself into the car, fully intending to drive off without his cousin.

Madara pulled open the drivers door, "Get the fuck out of the driver's seat!" He half-heartedly snapped, "Nothing's wrong yet; there is someone hanging around by your house. That doesn't mean anything until something happens, and since Sasori is there, everything will be fine!"

Itachi glared at him, moving over. "What makes you _think_ so? They don't know Sasori's there. If there's someone hanging around the house, he should do something about it! Let's go!"

Madara clambered into the car, pulling out of the parking lot and heading off the main street. Within a few minutes, they were beginning the ten minute drive back to Itachi's house, "Nothing's happened yet, and if something does, I'll be the first to know. If you're so worried, why don't you..." his phone went off again, and he cursed, pulling it out and flipped it open.

"What is it?" He listened for a moment, his eyes steadily widened as he put a bit more pressure on the gas pedal. Within a few seconds, they were going ten miles faster than the speed limit.

He shut the phone and stuffed it back into his pocket, making the car go a bit faster.

Itachi was staring at him. His cell phone was already poised to call his brother.

"What?" his voice was beginning to sound frantic, "What happened?!"

"Your house just went up in flames." Madara said, his voice monotonous as he gripped the steering wheel tightly.

Itachi's widened, and he quickly tried calling Sasuke's cell phone. He got nothing. He tried calling again and again, and he didn't get anything.

"DAMN IT!" Itachi squeezed his eyes shut, his hand gripping the phone so tightly his knuckles were white.

"Hurry up! I don't care if you're going twice the speed limit!"

Madara obliged, practically slamming on the gas and sending them forward at twice the speed limit, as Itachi had requested. Before they had even gotten there, they could see the smoke billowing from behind the trees. It was dark; looked like someone had gone a little farther than simply lighting the side of the house of fire. They took a sharp turn, arriving on the scene of the fire within seconds. The house was almost completely consumed in flames. Madara swiftly pulled out of the way for any fire trucks that might possibly arrive at any given moment.

Itachi jumped out of the car, taking off toward the house.

"SASUKE!" he shouted, knowing he wouldn't be heard over the roar of the flames. He began looking for a way in so he could get to his brother.

Madara grabbed his forearm tightly, his grip unyielding. He wrenched the younger Uchiha back, pulling him away from the inferno. He gritted his teeth, listening to the sound of approaching sirens.

"LET GO OF ME!" Itachi roared.

There was the sound of glass breaking, catching the attention of the two cousins. They hurried around to the side of the house.

In the second story window, Juritsu and Sasuke were both poised to jump. They were holding onto each other tightly. Juritsu was telling him instructions, and Sasuke was nodding.

"Sasuke!" Itachi shouted, catching the younger brother's attention. Sasuke looked at him, an expression of terror on his face.

However, before the two could jump, an explosion from inside pitched them from the window. Juritsu had grabbed Sasuke, and they both hit the ground with a loud thump. Itachi sprinted over to them. Sasuke had sat up and was now trying to move Juritsu, who was curled up in a ball, screaming in pain on the ground.

Madara glanced over at Sasori, "Catch him." He ordered stonily, before crouching down beside Itachi. Sasori turned around and started off into the forest, intending to hunt down and capture whoever had started the fire.

Madara looked over Juritsu for a moment, his eyes burning with rage as he saw the blood dripping from the wound over her collar bone. He glanced up at the burning house, noting that the pillars that were looking like they would not be able to support the structure much longer.

"How do we go about moving her, Itachi?" He asked, glancing at his cousin.

Itachi cursed. "Give me your good arm Juritsu..."

The young girl didn't want to move her good arm; she was tightly gripping her injured shoulder. Carefully, Itachi and Sasuke helped her to her feet.

"Come on," he said over the roar of the flames, "We need to get her to a hospital. The faster, the better."

As if on cue, an ambulance pulled up, a few men jumping out. The firemen where already spraying water over the fire, trying to get it out as quickly as possible. A pair of paramedics hurried over with a stretcher, helping the two brothers get Juritsu onto it.

Madara walked over to his car, fists clenched tightly as he pulled out his phone.

Once the ambulance drove off towards the hospital, Itachi and Sasuke walked over to Madara's car.

"Sorry to be a bother," Itachi asked, "Can you give us a ride to the hospital Juritsu's being taken to?"

Madara nodded, pulling open the driver side door and climbing in, still waiting for the person to pick up. He looked a little more than completely enraged, his black eyes blazing hotter than the fire.

He started up the engine as the two brothers clambered in, and pulled out as soon as the last door was shut. As they pulled out into the road, Madara cursed and shut his phone, stuffing it back into his pocket.

"Do you happen to know which hospital is nearest to your house?" He asked, his voice tense and slightly irate sounding.

"There's a medical university hospital not too far from the cafe where we had coffee," Itachi informed him before turning to his shaken brother, "What exactly happened, Sasuke?"

Sasuke shook his head. "I don't know. I invited Juritsu over and informed her of what was going on. Suddenly a window broke in the kitchen and when we checked, half the room was in flames. Then there was another crash, and the living room was on fire too. We ran upstairs, and Juritsu was telling me to trust her when we were going to jump. I guess she's done it before... but then I heard you, and well... you saw the rest..."

Itachi sighed, rubbing his temples.

"I need to talk to Kaizuki," she thought aloud. Sasuke glanced at him in bewilderment before realization and horror crossed his features.

"You... mean... _he_ was behind it?"

"Most likely."

Madara glanced over at Itachi, before returning his attention to the road, "Where are you going to stay, Itachi?" He asked, looking slightly perturbed.

"I'm sure Juritsu will force us to stay with her. Although Yami's wanted to force her to join, there was an incident in which they learned that attacking her actual home was the worst thing they could do. So her place would be relatively safe..."

Madara nodded, "If you need anything, give me a call," He said, taking in a deep breath and glancing out his window, before returning his attention to the road.

Itachi was rubbing Sasuke's shoulder -- the boy was still trembling.

"You'll probably hear from me a lot, Madara," Itachi replied apologetically, "I have the feeling this is only the beginning."

Madara looked to his left, seeing the entry to a hospital, "Is this the place?" He asked, poised to turn into the lot.

"Yes," Itachi replied simply. He glanced over at his brother. Sasuke was pale. Most likely, it would be a while before he got over nearly dying.

The car turned into the lot, and Madara pulled up in front of the emergency entrance, "I'm going to park the car... I'll see you soon." he said, waiting for them to get out.

Itachi nodded, helping his brother up and walking slowly towards the entrance.

"We'll meet you in the waiting room, if you're waiting with us," Itachi replied.

Madara nodded, "I'll see you there."

The oldest of the three Uchihas walked into the waiting room several minutes later, glancing at the nurses' station before looking around and spotting Itachi and Sasuke, their heads bowed slightly, their faces a bit pale. He walked over and sat beside them, habitually closest to a box of tissues and some magazines.

Itachi glanced up, nodding in greeting at Madara has he took a seat.

"We haven't heard anything other than the operation had started not too long before we got here. They said it might be at least an hour."

Sasuke was leaning against Itachi's shoulder in exhaustion. Absentmindedly, Itachi was petting his head soothingly.

"I wish I had Kaizuki's number," Itachi remarked after taking a sigh, "She needs to know what happened. Only she can truly deal with this kid."

Madara nodded in agreement, "She might already know." He muttered, "Aisoku might have contacted her." The waiting room was completely empty, save for the three Uchihas. It was quiet, with the exception of the nurses occasionally answering a phone or typing something up.

"Actually, I'm willing to bet that he did contact her; he's the type to tell her what he's doing as he does it. That way she'll eventually decide on her own that she can't hang out with you anymore, because of the risk of you getting hurt."

Itachi clenched his free hand angrily. "Who knows," he replied scathingly, "But if she leaves and gives up, I'll never forgive her. And I'll go after the little brat myself."

Madara smiled slightly, opening his mouth to speak. His eyes widened and he turned his head away from Itachi and Sasuke, covering his mouth as he started coughing wetly. He paused for a moment, clenching his free hand around the fabric of his shirt.

"Sorry," He wheezed, sitting back up properly and grabbing several of the napkins to wipe his slightly bloodied hand with. His face had paled significantly, and he looked to be in a great deal of pain, "It's stress."

Itachi's eyes were wide in horror. The stare unnerved Madara as his younger cousin scrutinized him.

Madara glanced over at him, swallowing down any blood that had remained in his mouth. He sighed heavily, dropping the bloody tissues into a nearby trash bin, "I'll live for at least another year or two, so don't freak out."

"You too..." Itachi's voice was quiet, his mind churning frantically.

"I thought it was only my immediate family with the genetic mutation..."

Madara chuckled, "Sorry to disappoint."

Itachi buried his face into his hands, shaking his head.

"No..." he quietly repeated over and over again.

Madara too? Did that mean the gene was really an autosomal dominant one?

He was running out of time. He thought back to the fresh remains of his home and swallowed the lump in his throat.

"All of my research... all of it..." Itachi squeezed his eyes shut, his body starting to tremble.

Madara gave him a sympathetic look, reaching a hand over and rubbing his back comfortingly. He knew for a fact that there was close to nothing he could say that would make Itachi feel better about that fact that he was back to square one with being able to save himself and Sasuke, and now that he knew that Madara had it as well, everything he had theorized just about went out the window.

The hospital door slid open noisily, and someone walked in, their footsteps quick. Itachi heard the familiar voice of Kaizuki, and by the time he had looked up, she was walking over to them. Her right hand was thickly wrapped in bandages, and she looked like she was in a mild state of shock.

"Are you okay?" She asked, her voice as close to hysterical as it could get without actually being it, "Aisoku told me what happened and... well..." She glanced at her hand, "I missed him the first time..."

Itachi stared at her, the expression on his face heart-breaking. Slowly, his eyes drifted to her hand. He quietly beckoned her over.

Kaizuki walked over, looking at his face carefully, "What happened?" She asked.

"Aisoku already told you what happened," Itachi replied hollowly as he began to examine her wrapped hand, "Juritsu's in emergency surgery, but they reassured us that she'd most likely be fine."

Kaizuki didn't reply. Her eyes locked on her hand as he examined it. Her jaw was tight, and her vision blurry from tears that wanted to spill, but absolutely wouldn't. Her legs felt weak as everything that had happened hit her like a brick wall.

_Aisoku just burned down Itachi's house, because of his obsession over **me**._

She clenched her uninjured left hand, a mixture of horror and rage making her head spin. On one hand, she wanted to hunt him down and beat him until he was dead. On the other, she was so afraid that Itachi would get hurt that she wanted to leave the country altogether.

"I'm sorry," she mumbled, "I'm not very strong compared to Aisoku, so I wasn't able to kill him like I wanted to."

"It's okay," Itachi replied, his voice hinting at a newfound hatred, "That's where I'll come in."

Kaizuki smiled, feeling a bit reassured to know that Itachi wasn't in a state like she had been in so many times before.

Once again, the door to the hospital slid open noisily, and a familiar white-haired man walked in, his usual stupor of composure and incongruity completely wiped from his person as he approached the front desk. Madara looked up as he heard the name "Juritsu". Ichimaru was asking about her? His blood ran cold as he watched Ichimaru walk over and sit down on the other side of the room, resting his head in his hands and trembling in his seat. He smelled oddly of smoke; the same scent that had been in the air at Itachi's house.

_He looks awful, he smells like smoke, he just asked about Juritsu..._ It wasn't hard to put two and two together.

Itachi blinked as he glanced around, recognizing the smell of smoke. His eyes fell on Ichimaru, and he instantly knew. He sprang to his feet, ignoring the startled noise Sasuke made, and he stalked over to Ichimaru, grabbing the lapels of his jacket.

"So," he snarled, "You'd rather try to kill one of our students that refuse his command?!"

Ichimaru stared up at him, his expression nothing short of lost. He was terrified; it was easy to tell. He was upset, he was miserable, and he clearly had no idea what he could do at that point.

"Itachi," Madara grasped his cousin's shoulder, "Let him go."

"If you want to kill me, go ahead," Ichimaru said quietly. He reached up with one hand, rubbing his rapidly tearing eyes, "I'd be happier if I didn't have to be here anymore..."

Itachi gritted his teeth, shoving him backwards.

"Learn to stand up to something, you spineless coward," he seethed before stalking outside for a breath of fresh air.

"Is Juritsu okay?" Ichimaru whispered softly. Madara glanced over at him.

"Yea, she'll be fine." He replied, a pitying look on his face as he walked outside to ensure that Itachi didn't go on a rampage.

"How are you holding up?" He asked, staring at his cousin's back as he approached. With one thing piling up after another, Madara was surprised that Itachi hadn't admitted himself into a psyche ward.

There was a long pause before Itachi quietly replied, "I don't know how I'm managing to hold up."

Madara sighed, "You're doing a good job, at any rate. I'm sure any one else who bottles up as much stress as you would've killed themselves by now." He stood beside the younger Uchiha.

He looked up, spotted a familiar red head walking across the parking lot towards them, a black bag slung over his shoulder. Madara waved him over, glancing at his watch briefly.

Sasori approached them calmly, pulling the bag off his shoulder, "Itachi," he said, "This is yours; I found it in the forest while I was following Ichimaru; It seems that he dropped it off while he was escaping." He handed it to the Uchiha.

"What is it?" Madara asked, peering over Itachi shoulder curiously.

Itachi's eyes were wide as he quickly wrenched the laptop out of the bag. He booted it up, hoping that the hardware hadn't been damaged.

It hadn't; everything was fully intact, as if Ichimaru had broken into the house prior to the fire and gotten it out. Sinking to his knees, Itachi closed the laptop and hugged it to his chest.

"Thank God," he breathed, feeling as if a weight had been lifted from his chest.

Madara glanced up at Sasori for further clarification.

"It's his laptop." Sasori answered the silent question, "It contains a lot of research, and an unfinished game of mahjongg."

The other nodded, smiling slightly as he glanced down at Itachi.

"Juritsu's surgery was successful," the surgeon was informing Sasuke, who had a relieved smile on his face.

"Where is she now?" he asked.

"She's been sent to her room. It shouldn't be long before the anesthesia wears off and she wakes. She's in room 306."

Sasuke nodded, thanking the doctor before glancing over at Kaizuki.

"Are you going to get your hand taken care of? You should."

Kaizuki nodded, "Yea, I guess I will… you want me to inform Itachi of this development before I do my hand thing, so that you can head right up?" She offered with a smile.

Sasuke returned a smile filled with gratitude, before replying "I'll meet you up there, okay?"

Kaizuki nodded, "Definitely." She stood up and headed for the exit while Sasuke hurried up to the third floor.

"Itachi," Kaizuki called as she walked out into the sunlight, "Juritsu's surgery just ended; complete success, room 306. Sasuke's already up there."

She was completely thrown off when Itachi hugged her. He was very clearly relieved.

"Thank god..." he muttered, "I didn't lost everything... Thank you..."

Kaizuki's face went beet red as she awkwardly patted his back, smiling slightly. She wasn't sure what there was to say, so she did reply at all. She wasn't sure why her heart was pounding to the point of a heart attack, but it wasn't like she cared about her health that much.


	7. Chapter 7

**_Chapter Seven_**

Juritsu tiredly trudged through the halls. The drugs were helping with the pain for the most part, but she felt completely helpless. In the off chance that she was jumped, the chances she would successfully fend her assailants off were low.

Not paying attention, she rounded a corner and bumped into someone. The pain in her shoulder flared, and she squeezed her eyes shut, hastily taking a step back and nearly stumbling.

The same person who had walked into her quickly moved around behind her and caught her, making sure not to bump her shoulder again.

"S-sorry..." The familiar voice of Ichimaru Gin spoke up, as he helped her into a proper standing position. He looked _awful_, dark shadows beneath his eyes, his face ever paler than usual, and his normally well brushed hair a bit messy.

Juritsu was shocked to see him in such a state. Averting her eyes, she replied "It's okay."

She turned and continued along toward class.

"Juritsu," He called after her, his voice cracking under an invisible strain, "I'm sorry…"

Juritsu paused, turning around slowly and staring at him for a long moment before carefully walking back towards him. She placed her good hand on his shoulder and gently squeezed it comfortingly.

"It wasn't your fault," She had a reassuring smile on her face, "And don't worry; I'll take care of the one who's really to blame here."

Ichimaru smiled slightly, and looked like he was about to say something when the two of them heard what sounded like a fight, or at least a heated argument.

"I told you what I was going to do, you prick!"

Kaizuki came storming down the halls, Aisoku obviously trying to make a deal or 'reason' with her. She wasn't going to have any of it. She stopped by Ichimaru.

"May I use the phone?"

"Kai, please don't call Yugao!!" Aisoku begged, looking positively horrified, "If he finds out...!"

"All the better. If I can't take care of you, I'm sure he'll ship you off to England."

Juritsu watched the scene unfurl. She raised an eyebrow at Aisoku.

"I told you so," she remarked.

Aisoku gave her a dirty look, before turning to Ichimaru, "Don't let her!"

Ichimaru stared at him silently for a moment, before smiling, "Well, I can't deny a student her rights just because you don't want me to." he said icily, "Besides, since Izuru is dead thanks to you, I guess I don't really have to worry about what you think of me anymore, right?"

Kaizuki smiled gratefully, continuing down the hall. Aisoku called after her, hastily following her, throwing around a mixture of death threats and sweet promises.

"I told you your obliviousness was going to be the end of you!" Juritsu called down the hall. A small smile graced her features. It looked like things were finally going to be over. It was about time, too. She didn't want to break anything else.

Itachi rubbed his temples. There was no way he was going to advance in his research. Slowly, he picked up the phone, dialing Madara's number.

"What's up?" Madara's cheery voice was a bit annoying at that point, but Itachi knew he would have to bear with it.

"I have a favor to ask of you," he was blunt and to the point, "In order for me to continue researching this disease, I need samples. I was hoping you would be able to get a good bunch of blood samples from the rest of the family."

There was a long, empty silence that reeked of bad news, "Itachi..." Madara's voice was no longer cheery; in fact, it sounded a little less than reluctant, "Well... the thing is... They're all dead."

Itachi's mind blanked.

"... _What_?"

Madara sighed in his ear, "You, me, and Sasuke are the only ones left of the Uchiha clan," he said, "The entire clan caught that disease and it killed everyone."

Itachi's eyes were wide, his heart in his throat. The phone slipped from his suddenly loosened grip and fell to the floor as he was falling to his knees.

_Why?_ His hands were trembling. How? How was he supposed to collect the data?!

A sudden, searing pain in his chest completely caught him off guard, and he doubled over, collapsing to the ground in agony. He clutched his shirt tightly and squeezed his eyes shut.

"Damn it..." he hissed.

The phone was calling him, "Itachi!? Hey, are you okay?"

"How..." he raggedly breathed through the spasms, "How am I supposed... to..."

"Itachi, I'm heading over now." Madara said, "I'm sorry..." There was a light click and the dial tone rang out of the receiver.

The noise of tone faded away with his consciousness.

Madara drove down the main street, as it was apparently the single and only way to get to their house. As he left the main part of town and started heading more into the actually residential areas, he spotted Sasuke with a pink-haired girl. His eyes widened as he took in the situation; they were being cornered by a gang, and he recognized them as the CPU, rival gang of the Virus. He grabbed his phone and dialed Sasori's number.

"Yes?" Sasori's greeted calmly through the phone.

"Kagaku st; Sasuke's been corner by the CPU. Where are you right now?"

"Close by; I'll intercept."

"Yes, please do." He replied, hanging up and continuing to drive up the road to his cousin's house.

The black haze slowly faded as Itachi opened his eyes. He felt feverish.

"So... the clock had begun for me as well..." he observed quietly.

Madara was staring at him from a chair nearby, and he looked pale and worried, "Are you alright?" He asked softly, chewing his lip, "Do you want a drink or something?"

Itachi looked over at his cousin tiredly.

"Somehow, I'm okay," he replied, shakily resting a hand on his forehead, "But this isn't good. I though I had more time..."

Madara leaned back in his seat, twiddling his thumbs with apparent anxiety, "You should still have at least four years, Itachi." He said, "It's not like you'll be dead in the hour."

Itachi glared at him irritably. "But what if that isn't enough _time_?" his voice was desperate as it began to rise in volume, "This is a viral strain never before seen; four years can't be enough!"

A brief spasm of pain silenced him, and he looked utterly miserable. "Sasuke... What am I going to do..." he muttered quietly.

Madara stared at him sympathetically, glancing out the window. From what he had noticed from simply paying attention was that the virus seemed to remain dormant at least until its host finished puberty. Most of the younger Uchiha kids that had gotten it had lasted until they finished puberty; those who got it in their late twenties and older died within four years.

He let out a shaky sigh; for some reason, knowing that Itachi was ill was more of a shock than knowing that he would be dead sooner than later. He wanted to have a nervous breakdown, but he knew that it wouldn't help Itachi's mental state. It'd probably send him over the edge and into insanity.

"Madara..." Itachi's voice pulled him from his thoughts, and he glanced over at his younger cousin.

"When did it happen?"

Madara glanced over at him, clenching his fists, "A while ago. I think two or three years after you and Sasuke left." He replied, "I didn't really want to tell you... Sorry..."

"It's not your fault. I should've realized just how serious it was... I've only got the three of us to work with then..."

The older of the two nodded, "I will donate my body to your research if you need it." He replied with a slightly forced smile.

Itachi chuckled a little at the remark. He glanced over at the clock.

"It's 6 already?" Itachi carefully sat up, looking slightly concerned, "That's strange... even when he takes Sakura out, Sasuke's not usually home this late."

Madara shrugged, "Well, he got cornered by CPU, and I sent Sasori to help before I got here... they're probably torturing the last couple of survivors or something." He said, obviously not worried, "Hey, can I stay here tonight?"

Itachi would've looked horrified if Madara hadn't kept his cool. Instead he was stunned.

"A-alright..." he replied, completely speechless.

"I didn't realize that Madara was keeping an eye on us," Sasuke remarked tiredly as he and Sasori walked back towards his house.

Sasori glanced at him, "He wasn't." He replied, "He happened to see you and that pink-haired girl being cornered by the CPU on the way to your house."

Sasuke didn't glance at his companion. "What was up with that anyway," he grumbled, "I've never seen that guy before and he's going on about how he's going to kill me."

The red-head shrugged, "Probably hired." He replied, "It's not uncommon. You should expect to be attacked more often, specifically since Madara got back in touch with you. He has quite a few enemies."

"It wasn't like we sought him out," Sasuke tone was bitter now.

Sasori glanced over at him again, before turning away, "Madara sought you out because he was worried." He said, "He was offered a large sum of money to get rid of you, and when he refused, he figured that needed to make sure you were okay." He sighed, "He really does care about you two."

Sasuke didn't reply, instead looking at the ground just ahead of his feet.

Sasori stopped in front of the door as Sasuke reached for the handle, "I have to be going now. My orders were to return you safely, so I'm going to leave you here." He said, waving and he turned and started back off the way they have come.

Sasuke watched as Sasori left, and sighed before opening the door to Juritsu's apartment.

"I'm back..." he called, his voice trailing off as he noticed Itachi, sitting up and staring at him as if he had come back from the dead, and Madara, who looked worse for wear.

"Hey," Madara greeted with a wave and a strained smile, "Are you well?"

Sasuke fought back the anger that so badly wanted to well up.

"I've been better," he replied bluntly.

Madara glanced over at Itachi, "Anyway, I never told you, but I was going to buy you a new house..." he said, acting as if Sasuke hadn't just completely shut down his attempt at being nice, "And I wondered if you had any standards other than 'it can't be a piece of shit.'"

Itachi shrugged, "Not really, other than somewhere not too far from everything."

Madara smiled, "Good, because I already bought it. It's not too far from the world at all; school is a ten minute walk, town is a twenty minute walk." He yawned, leaning back in his chair, "Are you feeling any better, at any rate?"

Itachi sighed as he stood up. "I'm fine," he replied.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about?"

Madara waved his hand dismissively, "It's adult stuff, Sasuke. We'll tell you when you're older."

Sasuke rolled his eyes and headed to the kitchen to make a cup of tea.

Aisoku sat up, rubbing his eyes tiredly. He got out of his large bed and headed for the bathroom, intending to get a drink of water to wash the awful taste out of his mouth. There was a light draft floating through the house. He shivered slightly, entering the bathroom and getting the glass.

He heard a pair of footsteps come into the bathroom. When he set down his glass and looked up at the mirror, his nearly skipped a beat as he jumped, turning around. He was a bit startled by the intruder's sudden appearance.

"Uchiha... Madara, right?" He said, managing to keep his cool even after the awful start he had been given. He smiled slightly.

"Are you finally going to accept my offer?" Before he could continue, Madara had him by his throat, and had slammed him against the mirror. The glass shattered, cutting him wherever it touched. Madara's eyes were glowing with rage. His grip tightened slightly, until he had completely cut off Aisoku's airways. The boy gasped for air, clawing at Madara's hand.

Finally, his grip slackened enough for Aisoku to be able to breathe, "You set that fire, and set Ichimaru up so that he would take the blame. You killed Izuru because he wouldn't do it, and you've taken it so far as to lock him up to make sure that no one finds out that you did it." He growled venomously, "You tried to kill Itachi and Sasuke, and you injured Juritsu in the process."

Aisoku's eyes widened as Madara pulled out a gun and held it to his forehead, "Where is Ichimaru Gin?" He cocked the gun, fully prepared to shoot the boy.

Aisoku smiled, smirked, _grinned_, "You won't kill me until I tell you where he is," He said smugly. "You won't kill me! You can't-..." The gun went off, blasting a hole through the 15-year-old's head, killing him instantly. Madara let go of him and he slumped against the mirror, blood smearing all over the walls.

He smirked, "I'm kidding," he said, "I already have Ichimaru Gin in a safe place."

Kaizuki walked into her homeroom, sitting down beside Juritsu and glancing out the window. Aisoku, according to the police who had shown up at her doorstep, was dead. Though she had been telling him she'd wish he'd die for ages, now that he was, she wasn't altogether sure how to react. It had been the same when her parents had died.

She was sure that she didn't look very well, but she couldn't be positive as to how bad it was. She lowered her head, staring at her lap and trying to decide what she felt, how her mind was working, and whether she'd be able to survive the day in the daze she couldn't seem to get out of.

Juritsu would've tried to comfort her, but she was too blown away but the news about Aisoku. Who did it?

She moved wrong, wincing slightly as her shoulder throbbed painfully. Itachi and Sasuke had informed her the night before that Madara had purchased for them a new house. Helping them move was a major hassle, and she was sore from the awkward carrying she had to do.

Mr. Kirkland walked into the room, looking completely worn. He had probably been hassled by the cops, along with probably a lot of the other teachers.

"As you all probably know," he said calmly, "Kenryokusha Aisoku has been killed. The police are asking that you divulge any and all information that might help them to find his killer." The bell rang, and the class was dismissed. The awkward silence brought on by Mr. Kirkland was almost too much. Kaizuki was in a hurry to escape the vibe.

Juritsu was taking a breather on the roof. The police had been interrogating them all morning.

"As if I wasn't tired enough..." she mumbled irritably.

"Well, I didn't expect to see you here."

Juritsu jumped, startled, and turned around.

Grimmjow raised an eyebrow as he noticed her shoulder. "What happened?"

"Would you believe me if I told you I jumped out of a flaming inferno?" the blue-haired boy gave her a strange look, "I didn't think so."

Straightening herself, she gave him a polite smile, "Sorry to disturb you." With that, she headed back towards the door.

"Juritsu."

The girl paused in her steps, glancing at Grimmjow curiously. He looked awkward, and even slightly guilty.

"Sorry about what I said the last time we talked," Grimmjow continued solemnly, "I wasn't thinking."

Her smile widened gratefully, and she replied, "Its okay. I mean, the rumors and the stories stopped circulating a while ago, and it's not everyday you come across a kid with a dead..." she trailed off, her smile fading. Shaking her head, she continued, "Well, I'm not mad at you. Thanks for apologizing."

She left without another word. Grimmjow stared after her, unable to think of anything to say.

Meanwhile, Juritsu headed down to the cafeteria, taking a seat with the others.

"Sorry I'm late," she said, faking a bright smile, "The interviews were intense so I wanted to get some fresh air."

Kaizuki nodded in agreement, looking completely exhausted, "They stopped by my house this morning, and even drove me to school, and they still had to question me here too. If I did it, they'd know it was me because I would mutilate his dead body to the point of being unrecognizable." She grumbled.

Juritsu gave her friend a peculiar look before deciding to change the subject.

"How's the new place?" she asked. Itachi smiled.

"It's quite wonderful," he replied, "Sasuke didn't seem all that happy about it at first, but he's fine now."

"I wonder where Ichimaru-sensei is today," Kaizuki remarked, "I have seen him today, and when I asked Mr. Williams about it, he said that Ichimaru was on leave for a couple of days."

"Oh..." Kaizuki stared past Juritsu, watching as Ichimaru floated in their direction, his smile back on his face and his usual oddness back to its maximum.

"Good morning, Kaizuki-chan." He greeted with a wave, "Are you feeling well?"

Kaizuki raised her eyebrows, "Clearly not as good as you. Did you propose to the love of your life or something?"

Ichimaru chuckled, "Nope! Something much better."

Juritsu blinked at him, clearly surprised by his appearance and current mood.

"... What... happened...?" she asked, almost afraid to find out.

Ichimaru's smile widened, and he leaned forward to whisper to them, "Aisoku is dead. Didn't Arthur tell you?" He smiled ever wider, "Since he's dead, I'm free." He stood up straight, "And the best part is; I know who did it, so I can thank them personally when I see them next."

Juritsu's eyes widened.

"Y... W..." she was completely at a loss for words.

Itachi, however, wasn't. "And who did it?" he asked, an eyebrow raised.

Ichimaru tilted his head slightly, "Well, you know for a fact that I can't tell you that, Itachi-san. If I did, you'd probably tell someone. You're an upstanding citizen, after all."

Kaizuki smirked, "Well, considering that you know everyone who does anything that involves crimes, I'm not really surprised here."

Itachi narrowed his eyes suspiciously. He already had his theory. Though in the end, it probably didn't matter. While he didn't like to think this way, life was much better without Aisoku around.


	8. Chapter 8

**_Chapter Eight_**

...

Juritsu rubbed her eyes tiredly as she trudged down the hall. The pain from her shoulder had kept her up most of the night. Hopefully the bone would heal fast... she felt uneasy with only one functional arm.

Sliding open the door to her homeroom, she found herself staring at...

"Juritsu-san!"

"K-Kenichi?! Miu?!"

The duo nearly tackled her as they ran up and greeted her warmly.

"We've missed you, Juritsu-san!" Miu happily said, "We were all worried about you while we were away, you know?"

"You... were?"

Kenichi nodded, "Even the masters were."

Juritsu looked disbelieving beyond anything, and Kenichi patted her good shoulder reassuringly.

"Trust me! What happened in the past is in the past. We were afraid something would happen to you."

"And something did happen... What did you do to your shoulder?"

"It's a long story... But I jumped out of a second story window to avoid being burned to a crisp..."

Kenichi and Miu looked slightly shocked, though they weren't all too surprised in the end.

As they were chattering and telling Juritsu about their adventures, her thoughts drifted to Takeda Ikki. _So, does that mean he's back too?_

"Anyway, Juritsu-san, you should go see Akisame! He'll fix your arm right up!"

At this, Juritsu paled. It had been Akisame and the Elder that had rescued her from her ill-fated assault on Kensei... after she had tried to murder Kenichi.

"What's with that face? Come on! Everyone at Ryouzanpaku has been wanting to see you!"

"Juritsu-san," Miu spoke up, her voice kind and gentle with a bright smile on her face, "Everyone's been worried about you, ever since that incident. They aren't mad at you."

She never understood why, but Miu had always been able to calm her nerves and comfort her with her words. Perhaps it was because they were both female? Who knew?

"I-I... I'll go..." she hesitantly declared, earning smiles of gratitude from Kenichi and Miu.

Mr. Kirkland stepped up to his desk, clearing his throat to indicate to the students that all of them needed to sit down before he went into delinquent-mode.

Mr. Kirkland sighed softly, glancing at the papers on his desk briefly, "Today, we'll be introducing a new student." He said, beckoning someone who was apparently right outside the door. Someone wheeled themselves into the room on a wheelchair, their violet hair hanging around their head limply. He raised his head slightly, his face pale and tired.

"Asamiya Ryuuto." He said, his voice hollow and cold.

Juritsu's, Kenichi's, and Miu's eyes simultaneously widened. They shared glanced at each other before staring up at Ryuuto in disbelief. What was this all about?

Mr. Kirkland continued the lack of introduction, "Ryuuto lost the ability to lose his legs in an unfortunate accident several months ago; please treat him well in spite of that fact."

The bell rang, and Mr. Kirkland handed Ryuuto his schedule, telling him where all the classes where. The student nodded silently, and left the room a few minutes after everyone else.

Kenichi and Miu caught up with Juritsu.

"What's going on?" Kenichi asked, clearly concerned, "Do you think Ryuuto's come around?"

Miu shook her head, a serious look on her face, "I don't think so. Something's going on."

Juritsu looked uneasy. Was it because of her, again?

"Should we, you know... talk to him?" Kenichi continued.

"Maybe he'll come to us..." Juritsu replied, "It might be better that way."

...

"Are you sure?"

Juritsu rolled her eyes and grabbed Kenichi's arm with her good arm. "Come with me and I'll prove it. I _saw_ him _walk_ up the roof. It looked like he was struggling, but he was moving his legs, I swear!"

Hastily, Kenichi, Miu and Juritsu headed upstairs to the roof, opening the door.

As Juritsu had said, Ryuuto was on the roof, sitting against the fence. He looked up wearily as they make their rather noisy entrance to the roof.

"Did something happen?" He asked, his voice completely monotonous. His chair was nowhere in sight, but they were certain that they had spotted it parked at the bottom of the steps.

"U-um..." Kenichi asked hesitantly, "We were just... wondering..."

"You're here for a reason, aren't you?" Juritsu finished for Kenichi, eyeing Ryuuto's legs intently.

Ryuuto nodded, "Supposedly," He said, "Though I'm thinking about not doing that." He noted how Juritsu was staring at him so intently, and a slight smirk graced his lips, though it was gone in an instant.

Juritsu stopped studying his legs and glanced up at him, an eyebrow raised.

"Is that so?" she replied coolly.

He nodded silently, "Losing your legs to an experiment with a technique will ruin a relationship very quickly." He replied, bending his knees up to his chest, and using the fence to help pull himself to his feet. He winced slightly, and it was obvious how agonizingly painful it was.

Juritsu cringed slightly, remembering that day all too well. It had happened while she was a captive of Yami. She clearly remembered the screams of pain coming from Ryuuto, and how Kanou Shou wouldn't stop, not until she stepped in and attacked in a blind rage.

"How... how are they..." she asked slowly, averting her gaze, "Your legs... I mean..."

Ryuuto shrugged, "I'm not sure; I assume it's not as permanent as they thought it was." he glanced towards the sky, "I'm trying to keep the fact that I'm learning to walk again from Kensei-sama, though. Not being able to walk might be my only way out."

Juritsu nodded slowly, wondering if Ryuuto really _was_ being sincere. For now, she wouldn't question it. Instead, she would observe from afar.

Kenichi looked happier than he had in a long time. "What will you do once you get out?" he asked, sounding slightly hopeful.

Ryuuto blinked, looking slightly surprised at the question as he turned to face Kenichi. It was clear that he was suffering, just from the look in his eyes.

"I don't know," he said, a slightly sad smile gracing his features, "I don't think there's anything I can do, or anywhere I can go."

"I'm here for you Ryuuto," he replied, reassuring his childhood companion with a small smile, "And I'll look out for you. I promise."

Juritsu had a smile on her face as she added, "I will too."

Miu nodded in agreement. "We're all here for you, Ryuuto-kun."

Ryuuto's eyes widened slightly, and he averted them, looking slightly awkward at the situation.

"If that's so," he mumbled, "Then could you help me back down the stairs?" He was completely horrified by the idea that he was asking them to assist him with anything.

Then again, he hadn't given it much thought when he'd walked up the three flights of stairs. Now that he thought about it, getting back down without dying was completely impossible.

Juritsu giggled slightly, glancing at Kenichi and Miu and nodding encouragingly. The two of them walked over and carefully helped Ryuuto to his feet and towards the door, which Juritsu held open with her good hand.

"Don't be afraid to ask for help, Ryuuto," Juritsu said as they passed her and she let the door closed behind them, "They say the greatest strength is being able to admit one's weakness."

...

Itachi let himself out, glancing around habitually as he walked down the stairs. A black car caught his eye, and he raised an eyebrow as he walked closer.

A boy with purple hair wheeled himself over to the car in a wheelchair. The driver got out, pulling open the door. The boy didn't even look into the car, so he clearly did not notice Madara sitting beside him, his black eyes holding an icy hatred unlike any other.

The dark haired driver, his demonic smirk filled with malice. He put the chair into the truck, glancing up at Itachi and flashing him a smile before getting into the drivers seat and pulling away from the school.

Itachi raised an eyebrow, wondering what was about to happen to the boy._ I'll call Madara when I get back home,_ he thought to himself, _Surely that wouldn't be enough time to kill someone..._

...

Ryuuto's eyes widened slightly in surprise as he stared at the complete stranger sitting next to him. The man beside him was obviously not a friend; his black eyes were filled with absolute hatred. Ryuuto did not falter, deciding it would be better if he acted like he wasn't in danger of being murdered.

"Madara," He greeted calmly, his voice lowering to a growl, "What are you doing here, Asamiya?"

Ryuuto's blinked; the name sounded oddly familiar, and as he took the time to think about it, Madara grew impatient. A moment later, he had been slammed up against the door by his throat, the black haired man's hand wrapped around his neck, strangling him. He reached for the door, but heard a click as it locked itself. He couldn't get it open.

"I believe I asked you a question, Asamiya Ryuuto," He snarled, "What do you think you are doing?"

Ryuuto's eyes were wide; this person was a lot stronger than him, and had easily taken him by surprise. Not to mention the fact that he could not breathe. He clawed at Madara's hand, mouth slightly open as he tried desperately to inhale.

"Sir," The driver called into the back, "Please refrain from killing him in the back seat. I would get into a lot of trouble."

Madara snorted, "Then drive me to a place where I can kill him."

"Very well."

Ryuuto's strength began to leave him, his hands sliding down to his sides and his eyes easing shut. Abruptly, Madara's grip relaxed, and air rushed into his lungs. He coughed, breathing as if he had never been allowed before. The road had become unsteady and rough, and when he glanced out the window, he saw that they were on a dirt road, headed towards what looked like a Japanese equivalent of a jungle.

He glanced back over at Madara, his breathing ragged, his eyes slightly wide. He clenched his jaw; he remembered. This person, Uchiha Madara, was from Yami's rival organization, Akatsuki. He was the leader of Akatsuki, and one of the few remaining of a prestigious clan. He was powerful, both physically and politically. He had almost the entire underworld under his control through sheer force, but he had never broken a promise.

Ogata hated him.

But, because of whom Madara was, Ryuuto could not tell him what Yami's plans were. He could not divulge that kind of information to anyone until he was out entirely, and even then, he was sure he wouldn't want to.

"I will ask you once more," Madara growled, "What are you doing here?"

Ryuuto glared at him, his eyes hardened with anger. He was being taken as a hostage for information? Well, Madara was going to have to do worse than strangle him if he was going to get him to talk.

The car came to a steady stop, and the doors unlocked.

"Get out," Madara snarled, reached over and pushing the door open. Ryuuto obeyed, his legs aching even worse than they had on his way down the stairs at school. He could not run away; he didn't have enough strength in his legs. He could not fight back, because the pain was hindering him. He was trapped completely and effectively. They were in the middle of nowhere; he wouldn't even be missed, he was sure.

_"I'm here for you Ryuuto, and I'll look out for you. I promise."_

_"I will too."_

_"We're all here for you, Ryuuto-kun."_

He clenched his fists, suddenly feeling insignificant and weak. The feeling was awful; he felt like a grain of sand, to be stepped upon again and again. Would there ever be a time when he was free? When he didn't have to obey the orders of masters? Would there ever be a time of peace for him?

_"Don't be afraid to ask for help."_

His eyes stung; he was going to be missed, and that was unfortunate. If he wasn't missed, and he knew, then he'd have an easier time accepting death. He would not break down for this person. He would not lose, he didn't want to. And he most certainly wasn't going to give up. Kenichi never did, even though he wasn't very strong. Even though there was always someone stronger, he never gave up. Ryuuto wasn't about to fall behind Shirahama Kenichi, of all people.

He gently prodded his pocket, making it as subtle as possible. He knew he had brought his cell phone to school in case of an emergency. It wasn't in either of his pockets.

Madara smirked, lifting his hand and holding up the phone, "Are you looking for this?" He tossed it behind him, and it landing safely in the grass. Ryuuto bit his tongue; this situation was looking steadily worse.

The black haired Uchiha walked forward, and Ryuuto took a couple of agonizing steps backwards before his legs gave out. He let out a curse, collapsing to his knees, groaning in pain. The pain was unlike the usual ache and burn. It was as if he was being impaled through the spine. He didn't hear Madara walk around behind him as he tried to control the spasms of his legs.

"I'll undo it," Madara hissed in his ear, "Everything. I'll undo all of it."

Ryuuto's eyes widened as he was suddenly thrust to his stomach, landing on the hard ground. Madara's foot was crushing his lower back, right where Kanou Shou had hit him before. He let out an agonized cry, clenching his fists and shutting his eyes, trying desperately to block out the pain.

Madara only put more weight onto his foot, a sick smile on his face, "I will put you back in that chair permanently, Asamiya Ryuuto," he said, "And you'll never get away without your legs, now will you?"

Ryuuto's eyes widened and he cursed, "I-It's not like I can tell you anything worthwhile anyway!" He managed to choke out, "Get close to Juritsu… so that Yami can get back into her life! That's what I was told!"

Madara's eyes narrowed and he pressed ever harder, earning himself a satisfying cry, "Is that really all you have planned, Ryuuto? I hear you have plans to get away from Yami, so if you tell me everything, I might be able to help you."

Ryuuto clenched his teeth, "The-there's nothing to tell," he gasped. His entire body was on fire, and he continued, "They don't trust me anymore…"

"Well, what do you know for a _fact_ just from simple _experience_!?" Madara snarled, losing his patience in an instant, "They chose you because it'd be fine if you were disposed of by me, but there's got to be something else that you know, damn it!"

Ryuuto whimpered in pain as Madara leaned forward again, his boot bearing an enormous weight on the already fragile bones and nerves, "T-they'll do everything that they did six year ago… they'll chase everyone close to her away, is-isolate her, and force her b-back into Yami…"

"That includes Sasuke and Itachi, I assume." He growled, his voice low and filled with rage.

"P-probably… Kensei-sama himself is getting involved this t-time, instead of leaving it to the disciples…"

Madara swore, pulling his boot off Ryuuto's back and glaring at him furiously as he managed to pull himself onto his hands and knees.

_Stupid brat is probably about to cry,_ He thought, a slight smile appearing on his face. He kicked Ryuuto onto his back, slamming his foot down on his arm and breaking his wrist in the process.

The younger of the two let out a cry of agony, rolling onto his side and trying to force off Madara. The black haired man did not let up, only pressing harder until he was sure the bones were being crushed. Madara finally lifted him up off the ground and hit him on the back on the neck, just hard enough to knock him unconscious.

He opened the car door and threw Ryuuto inside, slamming it behind him.

"Drop him off at the hospital; he was attacked by a gang or something." He snapped at the driver, "I'm going to walk to Itachi's house and hang out there for a while; I've got a really bad feeling."

His phone had been buzzing a while earlier, while he had been in the car with Ryuuto. He knew it was Itachi; he had seen him outside the school as Ryuuto had been getting into the car. He stooped over and picked up Ryuuto's cell phone, intending to have Itachi return it to him in school the next day.

...

"So, I hear you can walk again, Ryuuto…" Ogata's voice was like a demonic void that swallowed Ryuuto whole. He was pale, standing on his aching legs, his one good fist clenched to keep from screaming. He had never been in so much pain in his life, his broken wrist burning all the way up his arm.

His master his teacher, his mentor, Ogata Isshinsai, was furious with him. It was hard to tell by his expression and tone of voice, but Ryuuto had never felt such an angry aura in his entire life.

"Break him." Ryuuto's eyes widened slightly as those words came with a sudden, unbearable amount of pain. He wasn't sure who was beating on him, but he was safely assuming that it was Kanou. His body was on fire, burning up from the inside from the excruciating amount of pain. A fever raged in his head, killing him slowly as he fell farther and faster than he ever had before.

He could not fight; his wrists were broken, his body shattered, and his legs dead.

Asamiya Ryuuto broke like a mirror, glass shards shattering around him, through him, within him.

When he woke up, it was dark and it was raining.

"R-Ryuuto?!"

There was a shadowed figure kneeling by his side. He could barely recognize the voice. His vision was foggy and unclear; his glasses were probably a thing of the past by now.

"Ju…" his voice died in his throat, leaving him feeling ever more helpless than before. He wanted to die.

"I'm here, Ryuuto… come on…" Juritsu helped him up carefully, pulling him to his feet. "I'm going to take you to Ryouzanpaku… Akisame will be able to fix you right up, I promise."

"Th-they'll kill you…" His gasped, slightly irritated by how pathetic his voice sounded, even though he was overjoyed that it was back at all, "Kensei…sama…"

He could feel her body tense next to him. If it were light out, he would've seen the color drain for her face.

"Don't worry about that now," she hefted him up, slinging an arm over her shoulder and beginning the trek to the old dojo, "We need to take care of you first."

"So-sorry for the trouble…" He mumbled through his chattered teeth. He hadn't realized how cold it was outside until Juritsu had lifted him from the pre-warmed ground.

Juritsu could feel his shivering body, and she brought him as close to her body as she could to try and keep him warm. "Don't worry…" she replied, her voice slightly sad, "I'll be causing more than enough trouble for you and everyone else… soon enough…"

...

"AKISAME!" Juritsu was screaming at the top of her lungs as she half-carried Ryuuto through the giant doors to Ryouzanpaku, "SOMEBODY!!!"

Apachai was the first to appear, nearly startling her out of her wits.

"Apa! You've come back, Juritsu! Do you want to play Shogi? Who's that?"

"I'll play later…"

"Juritsu… Ryuuto!?"

Kenichi had appeared, and there was a horrified expression on his face as he took in the battered form of his best friend, "What happened?!"

"I don't know! I found him in an alleyway! Help me get him inside – he's freezing!"

Kenichi nodded in understanding, and Juritsu carefully hefted Ryuuto onto his back. The two of them, plus Apachai, hurried into the dojo. Miu had heard the commotion and had went ahead to prepare a room and fetch Akisame.

Once they settled him down onto the futon, Akisame appeared. "What do we have here?" he asked, looking him over.

"It looks like this kid got beat pretty bad," Sakaki remarked.

"Isn't this Ryuuto?" The Elder had appeared as well, along with Shigure and Kensei. Miu returned only a moment later, with a tray of cups of tea.

Kenichi nodded, a concerned look on his face, "Juritsu found him in the alleyway."

"Did he tell you anything, Juritsu?"

Juritsu blinked, slightly caught off-guard by the question, before she averted her gaze, replied "He didn't say anything, but I have the feeling Kensei is behind this."

The Elder nodded, humming thoughtfully.

"Well, it's nothing that I can't fix," Akisame spoke up, a gleam in his eyes, "I am a pro after all."

...

The lights were far too bright when he finally got around to opening his eyes. He shut them again almost immediately as the brightness of the lights in the room burned his retinas to nothing. His glasses were gone. He vaguely remembered Kanou crushing them to dust with his fist sometime during the beating. He looked around slowly once he had adjusted to the light, and tried to discern exactly where he was, and who had brought him there.

Slowly, he managed to pull himself into a sitting position, rubbing his eyes with the hand he knew hadn't been injured. His body was still sore and stiff from the beatings he had endured, but it wasn't nearly as painful as it had been before. He tried to recall what had happened after Kanou had left him in the alleyway, but all he could remember was a voice that he couldn't place, and a strange kind of warmth that he didn't recognize.

"Ryuuto? Oh, you're awake! Thank goodness!" Kenichi let himself in to the room carefully balancing a tray on one hand while holding a roll of bandages in the other. "How are you feeling?"

Ryuuto stared at his friend blankly. Could they even have been called friends?

"Where am I?" He deadpanned, still looking around himself. The place looked like a dojo, but not one he was familiar with. He felt like he wanted to freak out, but he was sure that wouldn't work out. In the end, he decided to remain calm.

Kenichi's eyebrows furrowed in concern. "You don't remember what happened last night?" When Ryuuto shook his head, Kenichi replied, "Well, I don't know the details myself, but Juritsu had found you in an alleyway and brought you here. You're at Ryouzanpaku."

Ryuuto stared at him silently as he worked out the pieces of his memories of being half-conscious. He recalled Juritsu, and being lifted off the ground. He remembered rain, and cold, and lots of pain, and Kanou. And that was just about it.

"You seem awfully concerned, considering how I tried to kill you." Ryuuto stated rather frankly, watching as Kenichi approached him.

"But we're friends, aren't we? Well, even if I'm not your friend, you're still mine," Kenichi slowly sat down next to Ryuuto, handing him the cup of tea first, "It's only natural that I'm worried about you."

Ryuuto raised an eyebrow as he took the cup, "Is it so natural? If you tried to kill me, I think I would probably hate you." He paused for a moment, staring at the green liquid and letting out a sigh, "It's a bit more natural to stop being friends after one tries to kill the other."

"If that's the case, then they were never friends in the first place," Kenichi had a smile on his face, "I don't hate you, just like I don't hate Juritsu. I'm just glad that you're alright for the most part."

Ryuuto didn't reply, taking a sip of his tea and ignoring the scorching feeling as it burned holes through every gland in his throat.

"Oh, Ryuuto-kun is awake?" A man wearing a kimono with the scariest eyes ever strolled leisurely into the room, "How are you healing up? I didn't miss any broken bones, did I?"

He blinked, suddenly remembered that, indeed, he had broken several bones, and, as a fact, they didn't hurt. They throbbed a bit from general soreness, but they didn't ache and burn. He nodded to express his thanks before replying, "You didn't miss anything. I feel fine." Ryuuto didn't think his voice had ever been so strained in all his life.

"And your legs? I did what I could on your back, but it'll take a few more sessions to completely fix it."

Ryuuto instinctively bent his knees to see how they were, and was amazed with how easily they moved. They didn't feel too stiff, and they weren't nearly as painful to move as usual. He amused himself for a moment with how far he could go before the pain kicked in.

"Thanks…" He mumbled, feeling ever more awkward. These people were being far too nice to him; they probably wanted something.

"It's not a problem; I'm a pro. But I'll take a look later. For now, just take it easy." Akisame left. Kenichi sighed as his master left.

"He really is a pro too, that's the scary part," he said, trying to break the ice. Ryuuto stared at him silently, his expression probably a bit colder than he had intended.

He sighed, setting the now empty cup down and brushed his long hair out of his face. He was definitely going to return to school the next day; now that he could, he practically wanted to jump up and start running around like a madman. He decided not to, of course.

Kenichi set the tray within reach and stood up slowly. He could tell the atmosphere was a bit tense, and he figured most likely Ryuuto wanted some time alone. "U-um, well, I'll let Juritsu know how you're doing when I see her next."

"Kenichi," The boy in question turned around as he was called. Ryuuto smiled slightly, "Thanks; could you wake me up for school tomorrow?"

Kenichi smiled in response, looking relieved. "I will."


	9. Chapter 9

**_Chapter Nine_**

Juritsu yawned tiredly. Luckily the rain had stopped. But that didn't mean she wasn't freezing. It was late, and she seemed to have beaten anyone trying to attack her or anyone else. She decided to call it a night and she began the long trek back to her apartment.

_No,_ she mentally corrected herself, _Takeda's apartment that you just so happen to still live at_.

Where was he, anyway? Kenichi and Miu were back; surely shouldn't he have arrived at the same time as well? Knowing her fortune, he probably got himself a new apartment and left that one for her to live in by herself. It was bound to happen, what with all the trouble she constantly caused everyone.

_They'll kill you… Kensei-sama_…

A shudder went down her spine, and it wasn't just because of the sudden breeze that blew through the streets. Kensei – Ogata Isshinsai himself – was getting involved. Would they ever just give up and leave her alone?

All she knew was that it was clear that the past events of her life were going to repeat again. It would be best to just start avoiding everyone before they were dragged into her problems and chased away later.

Miserably, she trudged down the street, deep in her thoughts and woes as she rounded a corner to walk through the main part of the city. As she passed a local bar, two older men, possibly university students, noticed her walk by.

The first one whistled, abruptly snapping her out of her thoughts, "That's a really cute outfit! Where are you going?"

Juritsu raised an eyebrow at the two guys. "Home," she replied, "I'm tired and cold and soaked, and I'd like to go shower and go to bed."

"Aw, that's no fun!" The second one grabbed her arm, "Come hang out with us!"

"Oh, what this, Ritsuki?" two more guys appeared, "She's a real cutie!"

"She was just about to come with us!"

"Let me go!" Juritsu snapped, trying to wrench her arm free, "I'm not going to hang out with you guys!"

It was a slightly awkward situation; they weren't delinquents, obviously. They were just four hormone-driven guys who were full of themselves and their libido. That being said, it wasn't a good enough excuse to beat them to a pulp.

The one who had her arm, apparently Ritsuki, made a sulky face, "It'll be fun! Come on, we can go to a bar or something!"

"No! I'm not even out of high school yet!"

The newcomers leered at her. The third one asked, "Well what's a little girl like you doing in a place like this?"

"It's like you were looking for a fun time!" Ritsuki concluded as he began to tug her towards an alleyway.

"I said let me go! I'll hit you if you don't!"

The four guys laughed, and Juritsu took the opportunity to attack Ritsuki, sliding her foot in front of him, and using her weight to trip him and slam him into the ground. Ritsuki had released her as he fell, and Juritsu turned to run. Unfortunately, one of the guys came up from behind and grabbed her arms, pinning her.

"Wha…? Let me go!" Juritsu's voice was beginning to grow frantic as flashes of Loki appeared through her mind, "LET GO OF ME!"

"You bitch!" Ritsuki snarled through his hands. His nose had smashed into the ground and was now bleeding profusely.

"Stop it! You'll have fun, trust me!"

They began their attempts at dragging her into the alleyway.

"LET ME GO!" Juritsu screamed, launching into a full-fledged panic attack. She squeezed her eyes shut, not wanting the tears to fall and expose her weakness.

"Oto, we won't be having any of that!"

The guy holding her suddenly slacked his grip, as he had suddenly been punched in the face. Juritsu stumbled forward into another person, who caught her before she could fall. Instead of pinning her, like she had expected though, their arms held her up and close, almost protectively. She slowly opened her eyes, almost afraid to see what it was.

"Are you okay?" Takeda asked, his smile as reassuring as ever. Juritsu's eyes widened in shock. Takeda Ikki… was back?

Ritsuki glowered at Takeda. "Bastard, stay out of this!"

Takeda grinned playfully, "I'm sorry, but she's with me. And I won't be letting you lay a finger on her tonight."

"We'll see about that."

Juritsu was clinging onto Takeda's jacket like a lifeline, and her angle allowed her to catch a glimpse of a flickering shadow approaching Takeda.

"B-Behind you!" she suddenly shrieked, allowing her fighting instinct to take over. She pulled Takeda forward and into a spin. She used the momentum to jump into the air and kick Ritsuki's friend in the face, knocking him out in one blow. She landed easily enough, and still holding on to Takeda's jacket. The boxer smiled at her.

"Thanks, Juri-chan!" he gently pushed her behind him as he brought up his fists, "I'll take care of the rest."

It didn't take long. Obediently, she stayed behind him as he swiftly took out the other three university students. The fight went by in a daze. Juritsu couldn't get past the buzzing in her head that usually came with the fright. All she could think about were the memories of what Loki had done to her while she was Ragnarok's captive.

"Jur… Juri-chan…"

Juritsu blinked, staring up at Takeda almost fearfully. Takeda sighed, looking her over with a small smile on his face.

"Are you okay? You're shaking like a leaf."

Juritsu went to nod at first, and then shook her head as tears began to well in her eyes. She buried her face in her hands to try and hide it before she really burst into tears. She felt Takeda's arms wrapping around her and pulling her close.

"That must've been really scary for you, wasn't it?" He asked soothingly, smoothing her hair down, "It's alright, Juri-chan. You're safe now."

His words were like the light of salvation in her black void. The relief and joy she felt just from seeing him again was too much coupled with the shock from what had nearly just occurred, and she grabbed Takeda's jacket, burying her face into it and sobbing. She continued to cry until her tears had dried and she was ready to collapse from exhaustion.

Takeda had given her his jacket to wear and keep warm while he carried her on his back the rest of the way home. As he walked, he told her about the D&D tournament, what he had been up to, and what had happened.

"We all thought that Kanou was dead, but we found out that he survived the bullet wound," he said, "I had visited my master, James Shiba, after the tournament, which is why I didn't come back immediately. I wanted to train some more and get stronger."

Juritsu was half-asleep, but she smiled and nodded, her head resting against one of his shoulders.

"I'm just glad you're okay," she mumbled, clearly falling asleep, "I would've been upset… if something had happened to you…"

Takeda's smile softened, and he gently replied "I'm glad you're alright too," just as her breathing began to deepen and evened out.


	10. Chapter 10

**_Chapter Ten_**

...

_Dear me,_ Kaizuki thought with a heavy sigh as she walked down the halls to her homeroom, _I think I'm losing my mind. Aisoku's gone, so I don't really have to worry about people getting murdered and stuff, and well, I feel so light I could fly. I think I just lost it._ She thought for a minute, before ending her entry in the mental journal.

She looked up, rounding a corner and bumping into to someone. She saw something drop from their hands. On a pure impulse, she squatted and caught it, pulling it into the safety of her body so that it wouldn't slip and fall.

She stood up straight and stared at Itachi, a slight blush creeping up her neck.

_Well, that was fairly embarrassing…or something._

"Here." She deadpanned, "Sorry for walking into you."

Itachi smiled genuinely. "Thank you," he replied, carefully taking back the laptop, "You don't have to apologize; I was being careless, carrying this out in the open. But thank you very much."

In return, Kaizuki smiled as well, "Don't mention it. I guess that was pretty important; years of martial arts and Aisoku have their worth after all."

"I'm sure your skills are worth a lot more than you think," Itachi replied.

Kaizuki shrugged, "Maybe we should spar some time; I need to fight someone. Haven't done it in a while."

After chuckling, Itachi responded with, "I'm free this afternoon. I'm not sure how much I'll be able to help with, considering I'm not a master myself, but I'll see what I can do."

Kaizuki's smile brightened, "Well, I'm sure you'll be plenty of help. I'll come and get you when I'm ready to go."

"Sounds like a plan. I'll see you then."

Kaizuki nodded, "I have to go to class now. I'll see you later." She bid him farewell, walking around him and heading for her homeroom. She wasn't quite sure why, but it felt fairly good to know that she had a friend. That she had _friends_, she mentally corrected herself. It was a different way of seeing the world, and she kind of liked it.

...

Juritsu was tired, and miserable, but she was slightly happy at the same time. Needless to say, it was a very weird whirlpool of emotions raging inside of her. She sat down at the usual table, which seemed to continue increasing in number. Not only Itachi and Kaizuki, but Kenichi and Miu as well sat at the table. And Sasuke and Sakura sat with them as well, though for the time being they were a lot quieter than the others.

"What happened, Juritsu-san? You look awful?" Miu asked.

"Did you have another long night?" Kenichi asked.

Juritsu smiled tiredly, "More or less. It was… eventful, I guess."

"Are you okay?"

"Of course I am. I'm still here, aren't I?" Juritsu waved off the concern, "Please don't worry about me. I'll be fine, I promise."

Miu looked up, "Isn't that Ryuuto-kun?" As she had indicated, the familiar violet-haired student was sitting at a table beside the window by himself.

Juritsu furrowed her eyebrows. "What in the world…" She sighed, standing up, and walking over to Ryuuto without hesitation.

"Hey," she greeted with a brief flash of a grin. He stared at her silently for a long moment before he replied.

"Hello."

"How come you're sitting over here by yourself?" she was quick to the point. Ryuuto blinked, looking slightly perturbed by her sudden question.

Nevertheless, he replied, "Because this table is vacant."

"Well, would you like to sit with us? There's more than enough room."

Ryuuto shrugged, "If you insist." He carefully stood up, obviously favoring his left leg. Juritsu's eye immediately lit up.

"Your legs are getting better!" she exclaimed excitedly, "I _knew_ taking you to Akisame was a good idea!"

Ryuuto snorted, "The man nearly killed me yesterday with a second session of 'treatment'." He followed her over to the table, letting out a soft, barely audible sigh as he sat down. Walking was probably still a test of willpower and strength at that point, but Ryuuto was definitely not going to lose to the likes of _Kenichi_.

"Trust me, there are a lot of us who'd agree with you," Juritsu resumed her seat next to Itachi, which coincidentally was across from Ryuuto, "I didn't start wearing this black sleeve on my leg on a whim. Akisame was 'treating' my knee for a while… and then he had to treat other injuries as well."

Kenichi blinked, immediately realizing the topic of conversation. "Oh, you're talking about _him_ again?" he half-groaned. Miu giggled.

"I think of all of us, Kenichi has the most experience with Akisame-san's treatments," she chimed in. Juritsu smiled understandably in response.

"Ah, but I don't think I've ever had multiple treatments," Kenichi noted aloud, "Actually, Takeda-san would probably understand more than anyone, now that I think about it."

Miu nodded, looking thoughtful. "He did scream a lot when he went to see Akisame in his clinic…"

Kaizuki raised an eyebrow, "So, I'm under the impression that you know a sadist."

"That's what I would say," Kenichi replied, "But Akisame-shisho really is a pro. He's the best 'bone' doctor out there."

"It's orthopedic," Juritsu automatically corrected, before continuing, "I think Akisame-sensei's the only person in the world that can heal a broken bone by merely tapping it."

Kaizuki nodded, pretending that she understood, and went back to her bento.

...

"Yo," Kaizuki greeted, "Are you ready to go?"

Itachi smiled as she approached. "Of course. Lead the way."

As he requested, Kaizuki brought the Uchiha to an abandoned dojo. It didn't look like it had been uninhabited for very long, but that might've been Kaizuki's diligent cleaning. It was off the beaten path, but not too far. It was actually fairly close to Itachi and Sasuke's old home, which was, at that point, a pile of burned logs.

"Here we are," Kaizuki said with a slight smile, "Me and Kiku used to come here and spar all the time; I lived in the town over when I was in middle school. We usually took the train." She seemed fairly fired up, which might've been because she hadn't been in there with another person in a long time.

"It's well-kept," Itachi observed as he set his things aside. Kaizuki nodded sheepishly in agreement.

"I guess." She replied, dumping her bag in a corner and fishing a pair of black pants out of it, "I need to change out of this skirt. I'll be right back." She walked off into an apparent changing room, or perhaps bathroom to change. She returned quickly, smiling brightly.

"Where should we start, sensei?" She said with a light chuckle. Itachi smirked slightly in response before charging at her.

"We start now."

...

It wasn't dark yet when he started on the way to his apartment. However, it quickly became dark as he continued on his way. His house was rather far, but he didn't like taking public transportation to get there. Ryuuto sighed to himself, watching as his breathe curled into a cloud and disappeared. It was extremely cold outside; he was shivering slightly, his muscles tense in an attempt to conserve heat.

"Oh, so you _are_ still alive." A familiar voice caught his attention, and he slowed to a stop, turning around to face the man behind him. Kanou Shou stood there, his brown eyes flickering with a desultory anger.

Ryuuto glowered at him, not about to forget anything about their hatred towards one another. His legs were burning; if Kanou wanted to fight, then there was going to be a problem. His legs, though they functioned, were not at a point were he could fight well. He'd probably resort to remaining stationary during this battle, or at least try to.

_If there's a battle to be had, of course. Maybe he just wants to have a nice, relaxing conversation with me._ Ryuuto thought, even though he doubted his conclusion with all his being.

Kanou smirked slightly, walking towards him, "Well, as you've probably deduced, I didn't come here to chat, Ryuuto." He answered Ryuuto's thought, "So I suggest you get ready to die!" He sped forward, jumping up and throwing a kick, which Ryuuto easily avoided. His legs ached from the sudden twist, his bones creaking from abuse.

The silver-haired man didn't let up, only intensifying his attack. His hands became weapons, only cutting Ryuuto when he could actually hit him. Ryuuto's wrist was aching; Kanou had thrown several kicks already, and Ryuuto had been using his wrists and forearms to block them

At that point, he had twisted his hands every which way to get around and avoid Kanou's attacks, and he could feel a sprain already beginning to swell up in his left wrist. He gritted his teeth, bearing with the pain that was beginning to spread up his back, doing everything that he could to be easy on his weakened body. Old fractures were beginning to split where they hadn't finished healing. It wasn't bad, though. Not bad enough to warrant a visit to Akisame. They weren't breaking; they were ever so slightly cracking where Kanou was excessively kicking him. He could deal with such injuries by himself.

Abruptly, Ryuuto's eyes narrowed as he spotted an opening in one of Kanou's more arrant attacks. He took the chance, waiting until he was at the perfect height in the air, and struck him in the knee with his extended fingers. He heard a loud pop, and Kanou let out an agonized shriek as he fell to the ground. He swore, cursing violently at Ryuuto in every way he could.

Bruised and cut up, and in an overall state of agony, Ryuuto turned around and continued on the way to his apartment. His left leg screamed with pain, the feeling almost crippling.

A black car pulled up beside him, coming to a stop. The window rolled down, and Ryuuto stared wearily at Madara. The black eyes were lacking the hatred that Ryuuto had remembered them having. He pushed the car door open, "Hop in; I'll take you home."

Ryuuto, too tired to be careful, obeyed the request. He walked around the car and clambered into the passenger seat, letting out a soft sigh of relief as he closed the door. His aching legs almost immediately seized up, but he managed to hold back the urge to scream in pain.

"That wasn't too bad of a fight, considering your current condition, Ryuuto." Madara spoke up, "But that isn't really why I decided to pick you up."

Ryuuto turned to glance at him as they turned onto a street, taking an obvious detour, "What is it?"

"Ogata is going to be hunting you, along with all the rest of Juritsu's friends. I had a bit of a fight with him the other day, and I told him that you were under my protection, as were the rest of Juritsu's friends." Madara paused, letting out a soft sigh, "He didn't send Kanou after you tonight, but he will start sending him after you until you stop hanging out with Juritsu."

Ryuuto blinked, but quickly remembered what he meant. He knew what Ogata was going to do, as he had watched it happen before. Madara turned to glance at him briefly, before continuing, "I want you to stick by Juritsu's side, no matter what, okay? She's going to lose herself in loneliness and anger again if she has no one to turn to, and I don't want that to happen. I made a promise to her dad that I would protect her at all costs."

The violet-haired teenager nodded silently, a sad smile appearing on his lips, "I would stick with her anyway," He said softly, "She doesn't want to give up on me, so, even if she wants me to, I won't give up on her."

Madara smiled warmly at the road ahead of him, "That's why I like you, Ryuuto. You're passionate in a subtle way. You remind me of Itachi."

...

"It's amazingly cold out here," Kaizuki grumbled, her teeth chattering, "It isn't usually this cold this early in the year. I mean, it's only October!" They had stayed in the dojo sparring for hours; it was going on 8 PM, and they had only just started on their way home.

"Do you want my jacket?" Itachi asked, taking it off and offering it to her, "I'm not cold."

Kaizuki smiled gratefully, giving Itachi a strange look a she put on his coat, "You're not cold?" She repeated, "Do you have a layer of blubber that keeps you warm or something?" She poked his arm, "Well, I guess that blubber is unrealistic when it comes to you."

"I'm tolerant of the cold," Itachi remarked offhandedly, "Don't worry about it."

The younger of the two nodded, chuckling, "Complete opposite of me; I'm a weather-wimp." While she was a bit tired from the previous hours of sparring, she was happy. Itachi seemed to notice the positive vibe coming from his friend and he smiled.

"I'm glad you enjoyed yourself today, Kaizuki. It's much better to see you like this than it was to see you so upset."

Kaizuki glanced over at him, slightly surprised. Nevertheless, she smiled brightly, "Well, I must say I've had a pretty good day. Thank you for sparring with me, Itachi. I really appreciate it."

"It's no problem. We should spar agai…" Itachi's voice trailed off, eyes narrowing as he began to glance around. Kaizuki glanced up at him again, following his gaze for a moment.

"What is it?" She asked slowly. Itachi's aura had completely changed to cold and calculating.

"Come out," his voice was devoid of emotion. Four people walked out of the shroud of darkness. A very young girl who couldn't be older than ten, two boys with silver hair and green eyes, and a burly-looking blonde with crazed eyes.

"Good evening," the young girl said calmly, her voice completely empty, "Kushinada Chikage. This is Yazoo, this is Kadaj, and this is Ladd Russo." She indicated who was who with her small hand.

Kaizuki's eyes narrowed, but she didn't say anything, sizing up each of the four people.

"Honestly, I could've done this myself," the blonde, Ladd Russo, grumbled, "Kensei-sama is too paranoid."

Chikage glanced over at him, her expression alone a warning.

"Kensei… You're with Yami, then," Itachi growled after quickly putting two and two together.

Chikage nodded, "Since you know who we are, I'm under the assumption that you'll be able to deduce that we aren't here to chat." She replied. The three men around her crouched into their separate stances. Ladd bounced on his toes, looking overly excited to get started.

Kaizuki dropped her bag, taking off Itachi's coat so as to not get it dirty and putting it down with her bag. She got into her stance, eyes narrowed. She had not a clue what was going on, but she didn't especially care either; they wanted to fight, so she was going to have to fight. She definitely wasn't going to run away and leave Itachi for dead. That would be just plain old rude.

The elder Uchiha glanced at her as she assumed a stance. So, she was going to stay and fight after all. Sighing in exasperation, he tossed his bag to the side, bringing his fists up.

"You shouldn't be taking us lightly," his voice was venomous.

Kadaj snorted, "I could say the same to you, punk!" He said, charging forward. Yazoo went left, and Ladd went right, each intending to attack in a different way. Chikage waited in the back, her brown eyes empty and calculating.

As a team, Itachi and Kaizuki were able to adapt to each other's weakness and fighting styles well. It was clear that Itachi was more experienced, but Kaizuki was smaller and able to maneuver a bit better than he could. On the other hand, Itachi was stronger and faster than she was.

Panting lightly, Itachi glowered at Chikage, fists clenched tightly. The other three had been soundly defeated.

"Tell your masters that we don't go down that easily," his voice was icy as he growled at her.

Chikage sighed, stepping forward, "Why do you think they sent me?" She replied, her voice equally cold.

Itachi's eyes narrowed, and he brought his arms up to block just to she was starting forward. However, at the last second, she completely disappeared from his sight.

"Wha…?!" He whirled around to find her behind him, and no sooner did he realize she was there, she had hit him directly in the chest with a powerful palm-strike. He flew backwards, hitting the ground hard. Spluttering and gasping for air, he didn't get back up.

Cursing violently, Kaizuki turned back to face Chikage, only to find that she was gone. Eyes wide, she stood her ground, closing her eyes and breathing a heavy sigh.

_There!_ She whirled around, swinging her leg hard and fast. Chikage caught her ankle, twisting it harshly. Kaizuki gritted her teeth to hold back a scream of pain and managed to wrench her leg back, nearly falling as she discovered that she couldn't put any weight on it. By the time she had regained her balance, the smaller girl had hit her in the stomach with the heel of her hand, sending Kaizuki back into a nearby wall. She slid down the wall, eyes wide as she forced the bile threatening to strangle her back down her throat.

The next thing she heard was blurry in her mind. Her hazy vision caught sight of someone with long, dark hair attacking Chikage in what looked like a fit of rage. He caught her completely off guard. The three that had been taken out earlier managed to get back up, but from the looks of it, the four retreated in the end.

"Are you okay?" She barely recognized the voice, but his face reminded her vaguely of Itachi. He pressed a hand to her stomach, prodding it gently. She clenched her teeth, groaning in pain.

"I don't feel anything wrong, but I'm going to take you to the hospital anyway." He said, picking her up. The world faded into a dark haze, and the last thing she remembered saying was too slurred to even understand.


	11. Chapter 11

**_Chapter Eleven_**

...

After the events of the previous night, the man who had rescued them, now known to Kaizuki as Uchiha Madara, had brought them to the hospital. They got quick treatment for their injuries, but the doctors insisted that they stay overnight. They wanted to make sure that there was no serious damage in Kaizuki abdomen or Itachi's chest. The blows had come close to causing hemorrhaging, but luckily hadn't. The overnight stay was mainly to keep them from overdoing anything and causing any further damage.

Madara pulled up in front of their school, stopping the car and putting it in park. Kaizuki clambered out of the car, closing her door behind here. Itachi came out of the front seat. Madara rolled down the window to Itachi's door, leaning over to talk to them.

"Take it easy, you two." He said with a smile, "If anything happens, then I'll update you, Itachi." He waved, rolling the tinted window back up and driving off.

Kaizuki stared after him, letting out a soft sigh before turning to Itachi, "Is he a relative or something? He looks a bit like you and Sasuke."

Itachi nodded. "He is a cousin of mine."

Kaizuki nodded in reply, "I figured it was something like that. He seems nice enough, though." She shrugged indifferently, "Well, I ought to get to class… I'll see you later." She waved, hurrying down the halls so that she could get to homeroom on time.

Juritsu immediately noticed the bruises.

"What happened?" she asked, raising an eyebrow, "Aisoku's ghost come back to haunt you?"

Kaizuki smirked, "Nah; ghosts can't cause bruises, I don't think." She replied, "Me and Itachi got jumped on our way home last night. No big deal. Madara saved us."

Juritsu's eyes widened slightly and her eyebrows furrowed. They were _jumped_?

_Kensei…_

Juritsu blanched, turning her attention to her desk as she fell in to thought. Kaizuki stared at her for a moment before she sat down at her desk.

"It's no big deal," She said calmly, "We sustained one blow each, and it wasn't enough to break bones, so we're fine."

_You have no idea Kaizuki…_ Juritsu rested her forehead on one hand while she tightly clenched the other into a fist.

Ryuuto limped into the room, looking a bit worse for wear. He wore a brace around his wrist, and a gauze pad could be seen peeking around the collar of his shirt. He sat down in front of Juritsu, letting out a soft sigh as the pain in his legs faded to a dull throb.

Juritsu looked up at Ryuuto, looking more concerned than ever. "Ryuuto, what happened?"

Ryuuto turned around in his seat to face her, "It's no big deal; I walked past the wrong group of thugs. " He smiled reassuringly, though the expression vanished in an instant. Kenichi and Miu walked in to the classroom, noticing Ryuuto's and Kaizuki's condition.

"Hey, what happened?" Kenichi asked, "It looks like you two went through the wringer."

"It's nothing," Ryuuto replied offhandedly, "You look a little roughed up as well. Training is the usual?"

Kenichi laughed, rubbing his head sheepishly, "Oh, you know. I got jumped, like usual. Miu was there so it wasn't as bad."

"Juritsu-san? Is something wrong?" Miu asked worriedly. When the others glanced over at her, Kenichi nearly shrank back in fear. Juritsu's expression was somewhere between stricken and enraged. Her fists were clenched so tightly, her knuckles were white, and she was emitting a murderous vibe.

_Damn you, Kensei!_

Ryuuto watched her carefully, remembering what Madara had told him. From the looks of things, she was going to start avoiding them. He wasn't supposed to let her do that, and he didn't want to know what'd happen if it did.

But, besides that, it wasn't like he wanted to let her fall; Juritsu was his friend… She had protected him when he had needed protection, and she had helped him when he needed it. He needed to do that same for her.

Abruptly, Juritsu stood up.

"Juritsu-san?" Mr. Kirkland spoke up after he had stood talking, "Is something the matter?"

Her eyes were shielded by her bangs, and that probably was a good thing.

"I'm going to the infirmary," she ground out through her teeth before stalking out of the room, not even bothering to wait for a response from the teacher.

Mr. Kirkland sighed, "Very well," He grumbled to himself, ordering the rest of the class to their seats. Ryuuto stared at the door which Juritsu had left through, his eyes filled with concern. He didn't know what Juritsu was going to do, but he was still worried. He couldn't protect her, he knew that, but he could be there for her.

_Please don't do anything reckless, Juritsu…_

...

Juritsu sighed, slightly exasperated. She had protested vigorously at first, but in the end she allowed Takeda to help her on her rounds this particular night.

"Takeda, look," she had told him once she had located her shirt and gloves, "You've got aspirations. You want to be a pro boxer, don't you? Don't get yourself into a situation that might end up taking that away, especially not for my sake."

"I get myself in to those situations all the time, Juri-chan," he had called from the kitchen, "At least this time, I'm doing it willingly."

"I don't want you to follow me around."

"I won't follow you around. We can split the area and meet somewhere after we finish."

"What if I just don't want you to come?"

"I'm just making sure you don't end up in a situation like that one the other night."

The argument had continued along like that, but once Takeda made it clear that he was doing this of his own volition, Juritsu had finally given in, and agreed to split the work in half, and then meet once everything had been covered.

As she walked down the street, her thumb rubbed her cell phone in small circles. If something were to come up, she was supposed to call. Or, if she finished and found that he hadn't after a certain period of time, she had to call. She shook her head. _This is completely ridiculous_…

A small smile blossomed on her lips as she thought about Takeda while slipping her phone back in her sports bra for safe keeping.

As she rounded a corner, a change in the air suddenly startled her. The hairs on her neck were standing on end. A very dark aura was in the premises.

She checked to make sure her phone was secure enough to stay put even during a fight. Looking around, she clenched her fists and tensed, preparing for an ambush should it occur.

"Come out," her voice was firm and unwavering, "I know you're there."

A person clothed in white stepped up from behind her. Footsteps so light, she almost didn't pick up on them; it was Ogata.

"So long it's been since I've last seen you, little Juritsu." His voice was like a knife, cutting through the silence, "And yet, you haven't changed at all, have you?"

Juritsu turned around slowly, her eyes holding an icy, murderous glare. "I would've preferred to never see you again, Kensei," she growled, "I suggest you leave now before I kill you."

Kensei chuckled, "That's the kind of attitude I've been trying to get out of you for years. And now it's not hard at all," He replied, "So simple, you are, little Juritsu."

"The only reason why it's simple is because of everything you've done to me and my friends," she snapped, "Give up and go home. You already know my answer."

"You speak like you think you have much of a choice. Don't worry; you already have reason enough to join me. I guess it'll just take a little more pushing, won't it? You're very stubborn."

"What are you even talking…?" Juritsu's voice trailed off as her eyes widened in realization. Then her eyes narrowed and she snarled "It was you, wasn't it?!"

"So quick to jump to conclusions; I myself have done nothing, _yet_. Kanou acted on his own and attacked Ryuuto, and Chikage was only overhearing a conversation… these kids are so presumptuous nowadays, aren't they?"

Juritsu's golden aura suddenly flared, enveloping her in light as she glared murderously at him. Abruptly, she took off, charging towards him with her fists raised.

"YOU BASTARD!" she roared, swinging the first punch, "I'LL KILL YOU!"

Kensei laughed, avoiding her attack easily, "As usual, you are so hot-tempered, Juritsu! Tapping into your anger; you've gotten better at it. Unlike Ryuuto, you are better able to remain a poised fighter when angered… so much talent will be wasted! Your father wanted you to be strong, didn't he?"

Juritsu lunged at him again, swinging her leg in a roundhouse kick. "Don't you dare speak of my father!" she shrieked. Her phone began to vibrate; most likely, Takeda was trying to call her. She paid no heed – defeating Kensei came first foremost.

Kensei reached out, moving in fast and low, and he grabbed her upper thigh. His fingers dug into her skin, leaving dark bruises. Then, putting as much force behind it as he could without killing her, he slammed her into the pavement. The ground cracked slightly from the sudden pressure, and then a bit more as Kensei smashed his foot into her chest, missing her phone by millimeters. Juritsu let out a strangled cry in pain.

"Shall I tell you how much of a coward he really was?" He hissed, a malicious smile on his face, "He begged for his life, like the worthless piece of trash that he was."

"SHUT UP!" Juritsu raised her hands, firing an energy blast without hesitation. The weight from her chest was lifted, and she flipped up on to her feet once again. She panted lightly as her chest ached. Kensei had cracked a few of her ribs. Her hand drifted to her phone, which had stopped vibrating. Thankfully it was still intact. Her attention drifted back to Kensei as she glowered at him hatefully.

"My father was the one who taught me to use my power to protect the things I care about," she growled, "Don't call him a coward!"

"If your father wasn't a coward," He replied, his eyes narrowing as a smile grew on his lips, "Then I imagine he would never have hesitated to kill me after I destroyed that _beautiful_ baby boy. Ripping him apart was far too easy." He laughed, "You know Juritsu, I don't think that his screams were quite as ripe as yours."

Juritsu's eyes flashed, her aura soaring to astonishing heights. The entire city could see her light. Her phone began vibrating again, and once again, she ignored it. As she pushed off the ground, she generated gusts of wind, flying towards him at an amazing speed.

Before she could hit him, he ducked under her arm and grabbed her by her throat, whirling around and slamming her into a nearby wall. The cement cracked, small pebbles of rock falling to the ground. Kensei's aura was menacing, and it overpowered hers to the point of making it disappear. The world around them darkened once again as Juritsu's aura died down. The force from the impact caused Juritsu to cough up drops of blood as she squeezed her eyes shut in pain.

"When it's this easy to get you this angry, how are you supposed to defend your friends without losing control and attacking them as well, little Juritsu?"

Juritsu cracked an eye open to glare at him. "Sh-shut up," she shot back weakly.

"Your comebacks are getting a little boring, aren't they, Juritsu? Usually you have these cruel insults that hurt me so deeply." He paused, his smile becoming ever more sinister, "Is it because I'm right?"

"Wh-what the hell would you know…" she snarled at him as she tightly gripped his arm, "I can protect them… just fine!"

"So she says, even after she has allowed Kaizuki, Itachi, and Ryuuto to be attacked… your words are as empty as your threats, Juritsu."

Juritsu's eyes welled with tears. "Just shut up!" she choked out, trying not to let her frustration get the best of her. A break down was the last thing she needed at a time like this. Her voice rose to a shriek: "You're the one I'm trying to protect them from! I'd do anything for them!"

Kensei raised an eyebrow, "You say anything, and yet you won't give up freedom for their lives." He said, his voice cold, "You are no friend, Juritsu. You are more like their worst enemy."

"I WOULD BE IF I JOINED YOU!" Juritsu shut her eyes, fighting the lump that crawled up her throat.

"You think so lowly of me, Juritsu," he replied, "But I can only imagine what they think of you."

"St-stop it!" she cried, "Just shut up!"

Kensei leaned forward, his lips close to her ear, "I wonder how disappointed they are, up there in the sky…"

Juritsu was too busy trying to fight back her sobs before they overwhelmed her. How did she ever get herself into such a situation! Why did Kensei have to prove her wrong?!

"What kind of man makes a girl cry, I wonder?" a new voice interrupted. Takeda had his trademark smirk, though the playfulness of it never reached his eyes. He was enraged.

Kensei turned his cold stare onto the boxer, "How much better is the one who abandons her?"

Takeda let out a sigh. "How harsh!" he mock-pouted before the smirk returned, "What matters is I'm back now. And I'd like for you to let her go."

Juritsu stared at him despairingly. "T-Takeda…" she started. The boxer winked at her.

"I won't run, Juri-chan," he shut down her pleas before she could even begin them.

Kensei smirked slightly, "A smart move, Ikki," he spoke up with a venomous undertone, "Because little Juritsu cannot walk on her own." He released her throat, and she dropped to the ground. Without another word, he turned and left, disappearing into the shadows of the night. After watching and making sure that Kensei was truly gone, Takeda hurried over to Juritsu's side, wrapping an arm around her shoulder and helping her lean against him for support.

"Are you alright?" he asked worriedly. Juritsu sniffed, nodding mutely. Her tears were flowing freely now. Takeda raised an eyebrow skeptically, but this time, he decided not to press. "Did you get hurt anywhere?"

"It's… not too bad…" she answered softly, "I'll need to see Akisame-sensei… but it's not an emergency…"

Takeda nodded in understanding before carefully scooping Juritsu into his arms. He heard a sharp intake of breath and noticed how Juritsu flinched, but other than that she made no indication of pain. Hesitantly at first, she wrapped her arms around his neck to help hold herself up, leaning her head against his chest as he began walking back home. Takeda, meanwhile, fell into thought.

_Little Juritsu cannot walk on her own…_

It was clear that Kensei had gotten under Juritsu's skin. She would begin to doubt her self, and most likely, Kensei was trying to alienate her from the rest of her friends, including Takeda. It would be two years ago all over again. More than anything, he didn't want Juritsu to estrange herself and cut off ties. He had talked her into living with him for a reason.

"I'm sorry…"

Takeda blinked, looking down at Juritsu in confusion. Her eyes were halfway closed with exhaustion.

"Huh?"

"I didn't answer your phone calls… I'm sorry that I made you worry."

Takeda stared at her blankly, before realizing what she was referring to. He smiled reassuringly.

"It's alright, Juri-chan," he replied, "I'm just glad you're okay."

Yes, he decided it. He was going to continue protecting her, even if he was doing it forcibly. He would convince her that he would fight by her side against any foe, just like everyone else would.


	12. Chapter 12

**_Chapter Twelve_**

"Tobi," the voice over the telephone sounded agitated. This alone was a bad sign when one was talking to Ogata. For a moment, Madara didn't reply, only wondering why Ogata was calling _him_ of all people, when they had recently become sworn enemies.

"Yes, Ogata?" He replied calmly, his voice even. He walked down the relatively crowded streets of the main part of town, looking around and wondering what he should do.

"Will you meet me at the café?" Madara blinked, looking slightly surprised.

"Sure."

He took a turn and walked into the café, looking around and wondering if Ogata was already there. As he had suspected, the man was indeed there waiting for him. He looked around briefly; Sasori was there too, and while he didn't know why, it was a little bit of comfort to know that he wasn't alone with an irate Ogata.

Madara pranced over to the table where his eternal rival was waiting for him, and sat down. The everlasting smile on his face was proof alone that he wasn't very much intimidated by Ogata's blazing eyes. He had seen countless people as angry and hateful as Ogata. None of them were quite as strong, but he had seen the same expressions before. They didn't even faze him anymore.

"What can I do for you?" Madara offered with a smile, "You seem a bit restless."

The white-haired man didn't seem to appreciate the comment, "Tobi," His voice was low, "I have a question."

Madara tilted his head to the side, "What would you like to know?"

"How is it that you are so easily able to recruit these so-called 'friends' of yours?"

The Uchiha stared at him for a long moment in silence, blinked in slight bewilderment. Since when did Ogata care about how to make friends? He was easily able to achieve what he wanted by manipulation and force, so why…?

_This is about Juritsu._

"I don't recruit." Madara finally replied, his voice void of emotion, "Ogata, if this is about Juritsu, then I'm going to be honest; you will never be able to recruit her, because you killed her family."

Ogata's eyes narrowed, "That didn't exactly answer my question."

The other rolled his eyes, "Well, then try listening for a change." He snapped, "Juritsu is a pacifist; she doesn't like to hurt people, and she never has and she never will. You cannot change her."

"Not like to fight?" Ogata snorted, "How could she not like to fight, after the way she has grown? She had become accustomed to it. What makes you-…"

"Because not everyone is a monster like Kagura."

The expression on Ogata's face change so drastically and so quickly that Madara barely had time to react. One moment, the other man's eyes were wide and filled with some kind of emotion akin to mortification. The next thing Madara knew, the world had gone dark. He heard the sound of screaming sirens, and the sound of an enraged man trying to kill him, shouting curses and death threats. He rolled onto his side, coughing up mouthfuls of blood and trying to breathe.

Sasori could only stand stock still. He stared with wide eyes as they put Madara on that stretcher, got him into the ambulance and went screaming down the street to the nearest hospital. His body was shaking a bit, not very much though. Seeing Madara go down in such a manner had startled him. His black eyes had been wide, and then next thing Sasori had seen was Ogata, beating on him while screaming curses. He hadn't known that Deidara and Hidan had been there, but they had subdued Ogata, or at least gotten him to go away somehow. Sasori remembered calling the ambulance.

But now that it was done and over, what happened next? Hidan and Deidara, in a fit of rage, had chased after Madara's attacker, leaving the young red-head by himself.

He stared at his phone for a moment before dialing a number that he had memorized. His throat was dry, and his heart was hammering in his throat, but he knew that Madara would want to see them when he woke up.

Meanwhile, as Itachi was walking home with Sasuke, Juritsu, and Sakura, his phone went off.

"Hello," he answered automatically. Juritsu noticed as he slowed to a stop.

"Yes, this is Itachi…" he slowly answered. Then, his faced paled, his eyes widening. Juritsu's eyebrows furrowed. Sasuke and Sakura had noticed their companions had ceased walking with them, and they turned around, noticing Itachi's appearance.

Sasuke slowly approached his brother.

"Right, I understand. We will be over momentarily," Itachi's voice sounded uncharacteristically calm when coupled with the look on his face.

The moment he hung up, Sasuke had asked, "Itachi, what is it?"

Itachi immediately set off at an amazingly brisk pace. "Madara's in the hospital, being prepared to go into emergency surgery."

Juritsu's eyes widened. "What happened?!"

"He took a blow to the chest. Most likely, he was attacked."

Juritsu's eyes remained wide, but she clenched her fists in rage. She wouldn't have been surprised if Kensei was involved. _That bastard… he's willing to go to any length to recruit me, is that it?!_

"Any word yet?" Itachi asked Sasori as the group entered the hospital. The younger redhead looked up at him, his face a bit paler than normal.

"He's in the OR." He replied, "They said that his chances aren't at their best."

Itachi scrutinized Sasori intently. "What happened?"

Sasori shrugged, "Ogata invited him in for coffee, and after about two minutes of talking, he was on the ground."

"Tobi-chan mentioned Kagura." A next voice spoke up, irritatingly familiar. Deidara stalked in, his eyes blazing with rage, "Bastard escaped my bombs. I would've killed him otherwise." Hidan was right beside him, and the two didn't seem happy.

Itachi's composure didn't change, even with the entrance of one his more disliked acquaintances. "Ogata was hitting to kill, clearly. Madara's in a bad enough state… they probably told you that his chances of surviving the operation was low, didn't they, Sasori?"

Sasori nodded, "Thirty percent."

"Damn it…" Itachi muttered, "His time's running out. I need to hurry up."

Juritsu abruptly stood up, wordlessly walking towards the entrance. On the way out, her fist connected with the wall, leaving a noticeable mark.

Itachi watched her leave. Sasuke was as well, his concern matching Itachi's.

"Will she be okay?" the younger Uchiha asked.

"I hope so," Itachi answered, "But I have a feeling."

The Uchiha brothers, as well as the Akatsuki members waited anxiously for any news of Madara's condition. Two hours later, the surgeon emerged from the OR. Itachi was upon him faster than a predator chasing down its meal.

"How is he?" he asked hastily, almost startling the doctor.

"W-Well, he's made it through the surgery," the man replied. Itachi heaved a sigh of relief, his shoulders slumping.

"Thank God…" he whispered.

"He still hasn't regained consciousness. His heart and lungs are still very delicate, so we've induced a coma to give his body a chance to really focus on healing."

Itachi looked worried. Inducing a coma was very risky, especially with a patient in critical condition. Nevertheless, he nodded in response, hoping that Madara would come around.

"We plan to wake him up in a few days." The doctor continued, "Madara is strong, so he should be okay by then… I'm more worried about the future, though; he's on his last ten months, unless he gets lucky."

_"I'll live for another year or two, so don't freak out."_

Had that really been a lie, to keep Itachi from "freaking out"? What was the reason for Madara not trusting him? Or was he just trying to keep Itachi at a safe distance in terms of their relationship? And if that was the case, what was his reasoning?

Or did he just think that Itachi wasn't strong enough?

Itachi tightly clenched his fists. If Madara really thought that he didn't have the ability to take care of himself, then the only way to change the older Uchiha's mind was to prove it.

"It was you, wasn't it, bastard."

Ogata smirked, definitely not working at hiding the menacing aura of rage from Juritsu. Even from afar, it was easy to tell how tense his muscles were, his fists clenched and his jaw tight.

"You already heard what happened, didn't you?" He replied, sounding much unlike his usual calm and collected self.

"Of course I did," she growled, her murderous glare unrelenting, "You nearly _killed_ him. I don't even know if he's out of surgery yet!"

The white-haired man gave her a look filled with an emotion that she couldn't believe was actually there, "It wasn't my intention."

"I'm sure it wasn't, but you still did it," she snarled, "You want to know why I won't join you? Because I would become _just like you_. And if that alone doesn't help you understand my thoughts, then you'll never learn."

She spun around, moving to leave before pausing, glancing over her shoulder. "What goes on between you and me should stay between you and me. Stop dragging my friends into this. You'll regret it."

With that, she turned once again to leave. The light footsteps, however, alerted her, and she swung her elbow, hoping to catch Kensei off-guard. Unfortunately, he grabbed her arm tightly, easily halting her attack. The other hand reached around, cupping her cheek. Juritsu froze, eyes wide and heart racing.

"When someone close to you leaves your side because you couldn't protect them, you may be able to understand my anger towards Madara a little better." He hissed in her ear. So gently that Juritsu was almost unable to believe it was Ogata, he kissed her cheek. And just like that, he was gone.

It scared Juritsu so much, her legs gave out and she sank to her knees, gasping for air as if she was just learning how to breathe again. Her hand clutched at her chest tightly as she fought to quell her body's tremors. And she wasn't just scared because of what had just occurred. Kensei wasn't going to give up.

"Juri-chan?" A familiar voice caught her attention. Juritsu looked up and watched Takeda walk up. That was when she saw the shadow.

"What's wrong…?"

"LOOK OUT!" She reached forward, hoping that a miracle would help her somehow pull him out of Ogata's reach. But it was too late. The boxer's eyes widened in pain as Ogata used a Tiger Palm on his back. Blood trickled from the corner of his lips as he began to pitch forward.

"TAKEDA!" Juritsu lunged forward, cushioning his fall with her body before quickly getting up and leaping at Ogata, "YOU BASTARD!"

She swung her leg, missing his head, and Ogata had a wide grin on his face as he moved out of her range of attack.

"Her name," Ogata said, as he evaded another frenzied attack, "Was Hisakata Kagura."

Juritsu's eyes narrowed.

"Your past won't make your present actions any less cruel!" she shouted, powering up and firing a ki blast. Again, he stepped aside to avoid the attack, his smile fading.

"You know, I could say the same to you." He replied coolly, "In the end, we are similar, aren't we? The biggest difference would have to be the paths we've chosen."

"And I'll never change the direction in which I'm going, _especially_ not for your sake," Juritsu shot back, twisted in mid-air and aiming a powerful kick to his skull.

Ogata grabbed her ankle, swinging her into a nearby fence, sending her smashing through the already aged wood. "When you get a chance," He spoke, his voice uncharacteristically angry, "Ask Madara if he can remember her."

Juritsu pulled herself up from the pile of debris into a crouched position, clutching at her side. "That's if he'll ever wake up again, you bastard," she snarled raggedly.

He began to walk backwards, slinking into the shadows silently, "Oh, he will."

Juritsu waited until his presence had faded to nothing before stumbling over to Takeda's side, frantically checking him over. He was still alive, but wasn't responsive to any of her ministrations. Her eyes watered up as she picked him up carefully and began half-carrying him towards Ryouzanpaku.

"Will he be okay, Akisame-sensei?"

Akisame smiled reassuringly, "If this had happened before Takeda-kun began to train with Shiba-san, he wouldn't have stood a chance. He's much tougher now."

Juritsu heaved a sigh of relief before standing up, wincing slightly as she began walking towards the entrance.

"And where do you think you're going?"

She turned around slightly confused. "It's getting late… I've gotta go on my rounds."

"Not with those cracked ribs."

Juritsu averted her gaze to the floor as she walked back over and allowed Akisame to take care of her injuries. It didn't take more than 30 seconds.

"Thanks," Juritsu was still looking at the floor. Akisame sighed slightly, a slight smile on his face.

"You can't forgive yourself for what happened before, can you Juritsu-san?" he asked. Juritsu's shoulder's slumped slightly and she remained silent.

"I hope someday you can bring yourself to move on," the judo master continued, "You've done a lot since then to make up for your mistakes. But when will you decide you've done enough? The rest of us have forgiven you, you know."

"When stuff like this stops happening," Juritsu replied quietly, looking over at Takeda's sleeping form as she gently cupped a cheek. Her eyes welled with tears as she whispered "I'm sorry, Takeda."

The unconscious boxer's brows furrowed slightly and he muttered "Juri-chan."

Eyes squeezed shut to fight back the tears, Juritsu's hand slipped away and she walked away, leaving Takeda alone.

Juritsu watched the sidewalk move under her as she walked down the street. The guilt of Takeda's condition tore at her heart, and she hated herself for her weakness. Why couldn't she hold up her promise? Why couldn't she protect her friends? What was she supposed to do; joining Kensei would ensure that he would definitely send her after the friends she had tried so hard to protect; it was how Kensei was!

A noise caught her attention, and her head snapped up, looking around her surrounding quickly and thoroughly. There was a fight nearby, and she took off at a run, following the noises as they grew louder.

Right as she was rounding a corner, a shriek of pain pierced the relative silence of the night. She took in the scene swiftly, her eyes widening slightly as she saw a familiar purple-haired man go down. Standing behind him, hands and fingers extended in an attack that she easily recognized, was Kanou Shou.

Juritsu's eyes were wide with rage. "SHOU!" She roared, not hesitating to attack him.

He turned around, hastily raising his arms to block a kick that certainly cracked his forearm. Kanou hissed a cursed, ducking down to avoid another attack, but not moving quickly enough to avoid the third.

As Kanou quickly righted himself and assumed a stance, Juritsu glanced over at Ryuuto. "Ryuuto! Are you okay?!"

He didn't respond. Or maybe he couldn't; he was on the ground, completely still with the exception of a violent tremor that spread through his entire body. Kanou glanced at him briefly, smirking cruelly.

"Are you kidding me?" He laughed, "I just took his ability to walk from him, _again_!"

"You've fucked with the wrong person," was the last thing she remembered hearing, and Kanou's expression of horrific recognition was the last thing she saw before her vision blacked out.

"Juritsu, calm down!" Someone had pinned her arms, shouting to bring her back from wherever she had gone. She thrashed about wildly, until she had tired herself out. Her vision slowly peeled itself back into view, and she allowed herself to slacken in the somehow familiar hold.

They slowly loosened their grip, before letting her out of their arms completely. Juritsu turned to stare at her (and Kanou's) savior. Jet black hair that stood up in the back, dark ebony eyes that could speak thousands of silent words…

Sasuke stared at her, his eyes filled with worry, "Juritsu, what happened?"

Juritsu could only give him a stricken look before looking around her. Itachi was tending to Ryuuto, and Kanou… was nowhere to be found. The realization of what just happened slammed into her like a wall. She had lost control, _again_.

She picked herself up, wobbling slightly before pitching forward again. Sasuke caught her.

"Juritsu…"

"I don't remember," were her panicked, choked-out words, "I don't know what happened!"

She was well on her way to having a breakdown. Sasuke held her comfortingly.

"Come on, let's get you back home. You're not physically hurt, are you?" he asked. Juritsu mutely shook her head. Sasuke hoisted her up on his back and carried her back to the apartment she shared with Takeda.

"Itachi is taking Ryuuto to Akisame's clinic, so he should be alright," Sasuke had told her before leaving. Meanwhile, Juritsu sat alone in the dark, on the couch, in silence. Her head was buried in her hands. She couldn't keep putting her friends in danger like this. There was only one way to go.

It was very late and everyone had gone to bed at Ryouzanpaku. It was easy to get in, and she wouldn't have been surprised if all the masters knew that she had broken in. She hoped that they wouldn't actually find her and demand answers. Soon enough, she found the room where Takeda was sleeping, letting herself in. She approached him, sitting at his side and just watching him sleep for a long and silent moment.

Carefully, she brushed his lavender-colored hair out of his face, gently stroking his cheek.

"Hey," she said quietly, gently, a warm smile on her face, "I hope you're feeling well."

She didn't know whether or not he could hear her, but it didn't matter. It was probably better this way.

"I've been worrying about you, you know," she continued, her eyes welling with tears once again, "I can't tell you how scared I was when Kensei hit you like that. I thought that you were gong to die. But I'm really glad you're okay."

Her smile grew strained as she fought her tears. Her voice began to waver. "I'm sorry, Takeda, but you won't have this problem anymore, I promise. And don't worry about me; I'll be fine. Who knows? Maybe I'll see you again someday…"

Slowly, she leaned forward, pressing her lips to his. They were soft, warm. She pulled away just as the tears began to fall.

"Goodbye, Takeda," she whispered, squeezing his hand once more.

And just as quietly as she had entered, she had slipped back out into the night.


	13. Chapter 13

**_Chapter Thirteen_**

…

"Juritsu?" Mr. Kirkland glanced up, looking at the class, "That's strange... has anyone seen Juritsu?"

_She's probably just sick_, Kaizuki thought, staring absentmindedly out the window nearest to her.

"She's... not here?" Sasuke's voice caught her attention. It sounded horror-filled. Across the room, Miu and Kenichi shared a worried glance.

Mr. Kirkland's eyebrows furrowed as he took her name down. "That's quite strange..." he quietly thought aloud, "She's not usually late... and she's never absent..."

Sasuke abruptly stood up. "Mr. Kirkland! I need to go find my brother really fast!"

Without permission from the teacher, he turned and sprinted out the door.

The bell rang, resonating throughout the school and alerting Kaizuki that it was time for her next class. She stood up, lifting her bag from the floor and heading out into the hall.

_I haven't seen Sasuke or Itachi at all today..._ She thought, wondering if perhaps something had happened to either of them, or the MIA Juritsu. She headed in the opposite direction or her next class, instead rounding a corner and heading for the Main Office.

"Hey, Gin," She greeted, smiling tiredly. The Vice principal looked up, his broad smile right where it was supposed to be.

"What can I do you for, Kai-chan?"

She chuckled at the nickname, "Do you happen to know where Itachi and Sasuke disappeared to?"

He nodded automatically, "They both checked in, and asked if Juritsu had called to declare her absence. I told them that she hadn't, and they both left early."

"Oh," Kaizuki said, beginning to feel a bit more concerned, "Well, thank you, Gin." He waved as she left the office, and Kaizuki made a point of waving back over her shoulder.

She took her eyes off the world in front of her just long enough to walk out the office in right into Takeda, who looked slightly on the hysterical side.

"Is Uchiha-san here?!" he asked, glancing around frantically, "Either Sasuke or Itachi, it doesn't matter! Or even Kenichi-kun or Honey!"

Kaizuki stared up at him, opening her mouth to speak, but was cut off when she heard the familiar voices of two apparently returning Uchihas.

"There was no sign of her near our place... Takeda-san!" Itachi called out the instant he recognized the lavender hair. The two brothers hurried over.

"You got my phone call," Itachi said. Takeda nodded.

"It was like she didn't return home at all! But when I got back this morning, I found this note..."

He handed the note to Itachi, who read it, eyes widening in horror.

**_I'm sorry. Be safe. _**

**_-Juri_**

"Damn it!" Itachi clenched his fist, handing the slip of paper back to Takeda, "Who knows how much of a head start she has!?"

"She might even be long gone," Sasuke observed quietly, eyes on the floor.

Kaizuki spent only a split second putting everything together, "Did you check her old address?"

Takeda nodded, the first signs of despair beginning to seep onto his face. "It was the first place I checked. The lot where I found her was only a block from her old house. When she left the first time, she had gone straight there."

Kaizuki furrowed her brows, thinking hard for a long moment, "Did you check the cemetery?"

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "What makes you think that?"

"Well, if Juritsu is anything like me, she'd stop at the cemetery to talk to her family." She clarified, "If there's an incense lit, that means she stopped there, and depending on how much the stick has burned so far will tell us how long it was since she was there, which will, in turn, tell us how much time its been since she left."

Itachi thought in silence for a moment. "It's worth a try," he declared, turning to Gin, "I'm going out again. I'll try to be back as soon as possible."

Takeda spoke up, "I'm coming with you."

Kaizuki smiled, "If you can't figure out how long its been burning, then come and get me from class... I've missed too much school, and it would suck for me to fail."

Itachi nodded, smiling gratefully before he and Takeda took off. Sasuke watched them go before glancing at Kaizuki. "Do you think we'll find her?" he asked.

For a few seconds, Kaizuki thought in silence, before smiling, "It might take a while, but we'll find her."

Sasuke nodded slowly, not quite looking convinced, but still hoping for the best.

...

She wasn't exactly sure how long she had been going. She took the trains out as far as her cash could afford, and then continued her journey on foot. There were trees everywhere and not a house, road, or person in sight.

Juritsu glanced around despairingly.

"I'm lost," she tiredly whined to herself. Her stomach clenched excruciatingly painfully again; it had been almost 36 hours since her last meal.

She was such an idiot, stupid, stupid, stupid. She had to resort to this to protect her friends, and what if it didn't matter how far away she was?

A sudden gust of wind brought chills up her spine and dragged her from her thoughts. Then, a drop of water hit her nose. Then another, and another. Soon it was torrentially down pouring. Miserably, she trudged on.

As it grew later and later in the day, she grew weaker and weaker. The rain was freezing; her hands and feet were numb, and her arms and legs felt like lead weights. She wouldn't have been surprised if her lips were a shade of blue.

Her vision was beginning to blur. It seemed that her empty stomach and lack of hydration was beginning to catch up to her. But she couldn't stop now! She wasn't far enough away; Kensei would surely find her if she didn't keep going...

Her foot caught on a tree root, and she fell face-first into the muddy ground. Weakly, she tried reaching and pulling herself forward, but her strength failed her.

_Damn... it..._

She supposed there were some advantages to dying. Kensei couldn't target her and use her friends to force her to bend to his every whim. The others would eventually move on. It wouldn't be hard.

"Sorry..." she breathed before her vision faded away completely and she was dragged into the peaceful depths of unconsciousness, where she couldn't be hurt by reality.

When Juritsu's consciousness began to return, she was greeted by a delicious aroma of cooking food. Her body was warm, and the futon she was lying on was extremely comfortable. Her muscles, much to her surprise, weren't nearly as sore as she had thought they were going to be, and a strange sense of heat seemed to radiate from within her very core.

Somehow, she felt… at home.

"You're awake, aru?"

Juritsu sluggishly glanced over at the young man kneeling at her side.

"What... happened?" she asked.

The man rested a hand on her shoulder and wordlessly urged her to lie back down, "I found you collapsed in the woods..." He smiled in slight exasperation, "You're very dehydrated, and you look pale, aru. Please try to save your strength until you've gotten something in your stomach."

That was when the aroma got to her. Her stomach clenched painful, causing Juritsu to curl up slightly, letting out a quiet whine.

He gave her a pitying smile, before standing up and walking over to the simmering soup that was steaming calmly over an open fire, "My name is Yao."

Juritsu carefully picked herself up again, her shoulders slightly hunched in pain.

"Yao..." she repeated his name, "I'm Juritsu. I'm sorry if I caused you any trouble."

He turned around, carrying a bowl of the soup over to her, "You haven't caused anyone trouble but yourself." He said with a knowing smile, "If you're going to run away, then at least pack some food." He handed her the bowl, which she took gratefully.

"Don't eat it too fast, or you will throw up, aru."

She nodded slowly, a slightly miserable look on her face as she sipped the steamy broth and refrained from just stuffing herself as fast as possible.

"I'm not strong enough..." she spoke quietly, her eyes pointed more towards the floor rather than her food, or even Yao.

Yao scrutinized her for a moment, before replying, "What aren't you strong enough to do, Juritsu?" He asked, his brown eyes filled with wisdom.

"I can't... protect them," she replied, "No matter what I do... so I ran away."

She chuckled bitterly. "I'm such a coward."

Yao's smile faded slightly, "You know what I have learned, living here in the middle of a vast forest for ten years?" He took a deep breath, filling himself with the sense of the world, "Running away from home doesn't make you a coward. There's a deeper meaning to it. Some people run away searching for freedom, others for power, and some people come out here looking for answers."

"But it's not common for someone to come out this way looking for all of those things."

"But how do I find it?" Juritsu clenched her fists, fighting the tears that welled in he eyes, "I can't keep running forever! Sooner or later, even this won't work! And it's all my fault!"

"Juritsu," His voice sounded stern, suddenly, "Do you want to protect someone? Or do you want to protect everyone?"

He paused for a moment, staring at her hard, "Because you're mindset isn't going to protect anyone. Blaming yourself for past mistakes, forcing the burden onto only your own shoulder, and never letting anyone step up to help you... How can you even protect yourself like that?"

Juritsu was shaking her head furiously. "It's not that simple! He isn't going to stop unless I either disappear forever or give in to his wishes." She cradled her face with a hand, "Ever time I've tried to defeat him, I'm hopelessly defeated. Every day... I train every day... For hours and hours. But it's not enough," She slammed her free fist on the floor, "What am I missing?!"

Yao sighed softly, standing up and wandering over to the window, where the afternoon sun shone brightly, "Finish your soup, Juritsu, and I will show you something nice, aru."

Juritsu glanced up, slightly bewildered at what Yao was talking about. Carefully, she sipped her soup until she had obediently finished it.

As she was swallowing the last drops of soup, Yao returned to her side, handing her a fresh change of clothes, and taking the bowl from her, "Change into this, and I will be right outside the door." With that, he pulled the single door open and went outside into the bright green of the natural world.

Juritsu watched him leave, a wave of uncertainty washing over her. What was she _doing_? And who exactly was Yao, anyway? She trusted him too easily. And yet, she had no other true choice at this point, did she?

She emerged cautiously from Yao's cabin. The clothes were warm, dry, and very comfortable. She was very grateful for them, to say the least.

He looked up from his seated spot on the ground, smiling at her brightly. Yao jumped to his feet, landing lightly, "Let's walk, aru." He turned towards the forest, glancing over his shoulder to make sure she was following him.

Juritsu was confused, albeit a bit surprise at how energetic Yao was, but complied, trailing behind him just a little, putting just enough distance so that, should he ambush her, she could safely counter-attack.

"You have good instincts, Juritsu," He spoke calmly, his voice sounding more relaxed, and his movements becoming more fluid as they traveled into the forest, "You stay away so you can protect yourself, but are there perhaps times when you defend yourself unnecessarily?"

The sound of a stick snapping in half to their left sent a couple of startled birds flying away.

Juritsu whirled around in the direction of the noise, eyes wide and arms up and ready to fight. Was it Kensei? Kanou? Anyone from Yami?

Yao chuckled, pausing in his steps and turning to face the direction of the noise as well, "Yoo Song, don't be shy. She isn't dangerous."

As requested, a tall man, apparently Yoo Song, stepped out of the darkness of the surrounding forest, his dark eyes nervous and distrusting.

"This is Juritsu. Juritsu, this is my little brother, Yoo Song."

Juritsu lowered her arms slightly, scrutinizing the newcomer before stepping slightly away. Now there were two people that could potentially attack her. She, at the very least, needed to keep her guard up.

"Nice you meet you," she said quietly, a slight nod of the head in greeting.

Yong Soo inched away from her, his fingers up at his lips. He darted over to Yao's side, staring at Juritsu with somewhat of a wild look in his eyes.

"Don't worry about him," Yao said with a sincere smile, "He doesn't talk, but he'll warm up to you quickly. He's just really shy..." A slightly melancholic look crossed Yao's eyes for a moment, before he turned back to his brother, "Why don't you go back to the house, Yong Soo? We'll be back soon."

The taller man nodded, once again making a wide berth around Juritsu before darting off into the forest.

Juritsu eyed Yong Soo as his figure faded away before turning her attention back to Yao. It was clear that something bad had happened to Yong Soo, but it was none of her business, so she wouldn't meddle. It would've been very rude of her to do so considering how she barely knew Yao, and how he had been kind to her thus far.

When she looked back over to Yao, he had started walking again, and was several feet ahead of her. "Don't fall behind, Juritsu… The animals will think you're a threat if you seem like you're stalking instead of following."

She caught up to him to the extent that she had before, and continued to analyze her surroundings as they walked deeper and deeper into the forest. The sound of rushing water reached Juritsu's ears, mostly drowning out the sounds of the other wildlife. Yao had reached a large, thick brush and was making his way through it carefully, "Watch your feet; a lot of snakes live in this area." He had strayed off the path that they had been following originally, but he still seemed to know exactly where he was going.

Now more curious than anything, Juritsu carefully picked her way through the undergrowth, mindful of any snakes. Where _was_ he taking her, anyway?

_A waterfall?_ She pondered.

Finally, the tall grass and overhanging branches cleared, and Juritsu stumbled over a decently sized rock, stubbing her toe on it and hissing in pain. The sound of water was much louder than before, and when she looked away from her injured foot, she was stunned by the beauty of a waterfall, dropping the clearest blue water Juritsu had ever seen. It cascaded down a cliff and into a small lake, before transferring into the stream that she had heard earlier and disappearing into the woods.

Yao turned to glance at her, a smile on his face, "Beautiful, isn't it? I decided a long time ago to name it after my little brother, Kiku."

Juritsu's eyes were wide with awe as she took in the scenery.

"It.... it _is_ beautiful..." she breathed. She didn't need to ask; she had the feeling that Kiku wasn't around. The waterfall must have been dedicated to him.

She smiled slightly. "It really it amazing, Yao," she said again.

Yao smiled, "No one ever comes here, so the water is as pure and clean as it can be... It really does remind me of him." He sighed softly, taking in a deep breath of the fresh air, before turning back to Juritsu again, "This isn't the only thing I want to show you, though, Juritsu." He started walking again, alongside the water, glancing over his shoulder to see if she was still following him.

Juritsu blinked in surprise before hastily following after him. What else could he show? The waterfall was magnificent enough.

They stopped at the crook of the falls, and Yao stepping aside so that she could see the tombstone deeply embedded in the smaller rocks surrounding it. There was a small bouquet of roses, white and red, in front of the tombstone, and they looked relatively fresh.

"They come once a year, the anniversary being yesterday, but I have never actually met them." Yao said calmly, a sad smile on his face, "I want to help them."

**_My beloved, forever rest in peace_**

Juritsu carefully stepped forward, kneeling in front of the tombstone and studying the flowers.

"They haven't moved on..." she murmured thoughtfully.

Her heart was aching almost painfully. The emotions that came off this grave were powerful and heavy. They lingered in the air, so strong that it felt as if she'd be smothered.

"Juritsu," Yao said softly, "close your eyes and tell me what you feel."

Slowly, she closed her eyes, ignoring her hairs standing on end from the nervousness of letting her guard down. It wasn't hard to pick out the emotions.

"Despair, anguish," she muttered, "Anger, yearning... and love. Love for the one he has lost."

"He?" She opened her eyes and glanced up at him curiously, "That's interesting…" Yao muttered, staring at her intently. He crouched down besides her, holding out his hand, "May I see your hand?"

Confused, Juritsu warily held out her hand.

Yao gingerly took it, tracing his dainty fingers along the lines of her palm, his eyes warm, but his expression slightly disbelieving.

"So pure..." He whispered, completely amazed by whatever it was he was seeing. He looked up at her, their eyes meeting, "You lack concern for yourself. You give and give and never expect anything in return. However, even though you hand out so much, you have a hard time giving out your trust." He paused, his eyes continuing to scrutinize her hand, "You fear darkness, however, and would die before you succumbed to it, and yet because your friends are hurt due to this fear, you are internally breaking, unsure of what to do..."

He let go of her hand, breathing a sigh, his smile broadening, "Refreshing; Juritsu, I will make you strong enough to protect your friends from even the Devil, if you are willing to accept my offer."

Juritsu's eyes widened in surprised. "You... you can help me?" she asked, almost feeling that it was too good to be true.

Yao nodded, "I can, aru." he said.

The girl was speechless. Here was Yao, a total stranger, had no idea who she was or what she was truly fighting for, and he was so willing to help her?

Before she realized it, tears were welling in her eyes. A tiny spark of hope ignited in her heart, but it was more than enough. It was enough to keep her going and not give up.

Nodding mutely, Juritsu allowed the man to lead her back to the cabin. She wasn't sure if Yao would help enough, but for now, the hope that it would kept her from giving up altogether.

Tomorrow would start a whole new leg of her journey. And she had been waiting far too long for this opportunity.


	14. Chapter 14

**_Chapter Fourteen_**

…

"Juritsu," Yao shook her shoulder, rousing her from her slumber, "It's time to wake up; I let you sleep in today, because I know you were still a bit tired from your journey." The fresh aroma of cooking food alerted Juritsu's senses further, and Yao leaned back as she pulled herself up into a sitting position.

"Good morning," behind him, Yong Soo was leaning over a pan of cooking food and sprinkling some herbs and spices onto it.

Juritsu rubbed her eyes tiredly, watching for a long moment as Yong Soo cooked before she pulled herself up from her futon.

Yong Soo glanced over his shoulder as the sound of movement reached his ears. His eyes completely left his cooking as he spent several seconds staring at Juritsu.

A hiss of breath escaped his mouth as he wrenched his hand away from the pot, sticking his index finger into his mouth. He returned his attention to the pan, taking it off the fire and watching it simmer at he used his wooden spoon to stir it.

Juritsu watched him for just a couple of seconds before she glanced around awkwardly.

Yao chuckled lightly, "So, Juritsu, I am curious to know what you compare yourself to when you're fighting. It'll help me pick a course of action for you."

Juritsu looked puzzled. "What... I'd compare myself to?"

"Yes," Yao replied, "I tend to compare myself to smoke, sometimes a feather. Yong Soo used to tell me that he was most similar to a sword. A comparison can be to anything in the natural world, whether it be an object or an animal."

Juritsu looked thoughtful for a moment. "Well, people tell me I fight like Furinji Miu. But instead of a feather, I'm more like a leaf cutting through the wind... or so I've been told."

Yao nodding, lifting his gaze to the ceiling as he mulled over her words, before a smile blossomed on his face, "Yong Soo," He called over his shoulder, "Is it done?" The younger brother nodded as he poured some of the soup into three separate bowls, handing one to his brother, and another to Juritsu, before taking the third and squashing his back against a corner by himself.

…

"Are you ready?" Yao asked, watching Juritsu as she exited the cabin in the fresh change of clothes he had supplied her, "Yong Soo might not look it, but he's excited. He hasn't done this in a long time."

Juritsu nodded slowly, a little nervous and unsure of what to except. But nevertheless, she followed.

Yao led her through the forest, and too a larger clearing, where Yong Soo was sitting cross-legged, his eyes closed and his palms pressed together as if in prayer. Yao pressed his index finger to his lips and he and Juritsu crept into the clearing, remaining against the sidelines of it to wait for Yong Soo to open his eyes.

Finally, the dark eyes opened, his face turning to gaze at the two for a moment, before a slight smile burst onto his features. Yong Soo jumped to his feet, looking highly excited, despite what Yao had said before.

"Right now, you two are just going to do a little practice test. I'd like to know just how fast Juritsu is, Yong Soo, so don't hit her, just avoid her attacks. You two must stay within this clearing, and go no higher than the trees." Yao explained the rules calmly, "Juritsu, all you have to do is try to hit him as many times as you can in five minutes. And trust me, it won't be as easy as it sounds."

Juritsu glanced at him, and then Yong Soo. Of course it wasn't going to be easy. It never was.

_I probably won't land a hit at all_, she thought as she approached Yong Soo at an increasing speed until she was at a full sprint, _After all, if it was that easy, I wouldn't be here hiding from my home in the first place_.

Yao watched from the sidelines as the two leapt around the clearing. Yong Soo was excited, so he was moving erratically, much unlike his usual patterns, but Yao was certain that Juritsu would do well. He could see the determination in her eyes as she paused in her steps to analyze Yong Soo for the briefest of seconds before going back to her attack.

It took her a minute and thirty seconds to land the first hit, sending Yong Soo stumbling backwards with surprise in his eyes. He'd had been keeping track of time as well, and that hadn't at all been an accident. He could see the triumphant look in her eyes; she had calculated his movements ahead of time, and figured out which way he tended to move based on how she attacked.

Yao's eyes were wide as he watched her; she was, at that point, moving as fast as she could so that she could see how many different ways Yong Soo moved depending on how she attacked him, and she was memorizing his patterns quickly.

_How could this girl have any trouble defeating anyone?_ he thought, his mouth slightly open as he watched her, _She's not just strong and fast. I don't think I've ever seen anyone think so much while fighting..._

One of Juritsu's biggest strengths was her natural flexibility; it allowed her to contort her body in ways that could get her out of most any pinch. She coupled that with the agility that her father had trained her to perfect to throw her opponents off-balance by using a combination off fast and unexpected movements. She would be flowing easily during a fight, and in an instant, she'd come in and strike. Her movements were identical to a leaf floating on and cutting through the wind.

Exactly a minute and fourteen seconds later, Juritsu hit Yong Soo again, but it was different that time. Yao's eyes widened slightly; Juritsu had thrown a kick at Yong Soo, and the latter had blocked it with his arms. That was unlike him; during a practice test, Yong Soo never blocked unless he was in danger of serious injury, and he hadn't blocked Juritsu's earlier punch.

She probably didn't even know that the kick she had just almost delivered probably could've had Yong Soo in the hospital with serious internal bleeding. She didn't know how strong her legs were, most likely. Yao watched as Yong Soo's hands vanished into his oversized sleeves, and he could see that his brother was in pain. That kick might've given him a slight fracture.

The final three minutes passed, and Juritsu ended the session by fully grabbing Yong Soo's left wrist and keeping him from going anywhere right as Yao told them to stop.

…

Yao sat down beside Juritsu, handing her dinner. Yong Soo was wrapping his arm up to protect it from any possible further damage. Yao had already explained to Juritsu that she had almost broken his arm clean in half.

"So, Juritsu," Yao spoke up first, tilting his head to the side, "I'm curious to know what you would compare this enemy of yours to."

Without hesitation, she automatically answered, "A demon."

Yao blinked, raising his eyebrows before smiling slightly, "Okay, let me try to challenge that." He replied, "When you try to kick him, how does he deflect it?"

Juritsu's brows furrowed in thought briefly. "Usually he easily dodges me, and taunts me the whole time. Other times, he grabs my leg tight enough to nearly break it in half. He'll either throw me or slam me into the ground."

Yao raised his eyebrows, "Taunting usually means light." He said, "He throws you to the ground, suggesting wind..." Yao paused for a moment, before his gaze became more intent, "This might not be any of my business, but what does he taunt you with?"

Juritsu's eyes averted and she looked down at her feet. Her eyes clouded over with sadness.

"He reminds me about how I can't protect my friends. He reminds me that I'll never be strong enough. He tells me that I'm a terrible friend for not giving in, because if I did, my friends wouldn't suffer. He always describes a new detail about how... he... how he..."

Juritsu gritted her teeth her teeth and clenched her fists, squeezing her eyes shut to shut out the pain that suddenly onslaught her. She never fully came to terms to the death of her family.

Yao patted her shoulder, "I understand." He said softly, "You don't have to say anymore."

But he understood why it was that Juritsu had such a hard time fighting with this man. He was just as Juritsu had described; a demon. He used a mixture of his amazing fighting skills and emotional and mental attacks to defeat people. That way, when they went down, he could be sure that they would not get back up and go after him again. He was likely a berserker when the time called for it, but when it didn't he was as deadly as the guilt and burden that all humans carried around.

Not to mention, it was easy for Yao to tell that Juritsu was not sure of herself at all. She was insecure about her fighting, probably her looks, and maybe even her friends. She was exceedingly sensitive to certain topics, and likely berated herself for every single mistake she ever made in her lifetime.

"Don't worry," Yao reassured, "I know how to defeat this kind of person, Juritsu... and with your capability it shouldn't take too long to achieve that level."

Juritsu opened her eyes, slowly glancing at Yao. That hesitation and uncertainty had returned.

"Are you... do you really mean that?" she asked quietly.

Yao chuckled, "Definitely; I have never once gone back on my word."

Juritsu stared at him for a long moment before nodding slowly, quietly acknowledging and understanding.


	15. Chapter 15

**_Chapter Fifteen_**

…

It had been three days since Juritsu had gone missing. Kaizuki glanced over at Sasuke, who was beginning to show unfortunate signs of resignation. Itachi wasn't with them; he was visiting Madara in the hospital, but most of them were guessing that he was looking for guidance, even though he knew he wasn't going to get it from his comatose cousin.

Kenichi and Miu were looking over a map, circling places that Juritsu might've gone to that they hadn't searched yet. Takeda was sitting up in a tree nearby, looking like a kicked puppy. The forlorn mood was almost overwhelming, but none of them knew what they were supposed to do to cheer anyone else up.

At that point, the only thing that could make any of them smile again would be to see Juritsu. They didn't even know if she was okay and alive. For all they knew, she had been kidnapped by Yami again, and it would only be a matter of time before she was forced to attack her friends…

"There has to be something we can do," Kenichi thought aloud, "What if she was kidnapped again? How can we find her?"

Kaizuki sighed heavily, "We've pretty much exhausted our resources; there really isn't anything much we can do at this point except wait and wonder."

Takeda rested his head in his hands.

"I hope she's alright," he muttered. Kenichi glanced at him worriedly.

"I'm sure she's fine," Miu spoke up, trying to sound optimistic, "She's really strong."

Kenichi glanced back down at the map. "I hope you're right."

...

Itachi trudged wearily through the hall. He had been to his cousin's room so many times, he had memorized the way there. As he approached the door, he heard a voice coming from the room. He didn't recognize it, so he carefully crept up, staying hidden behind the doorframe, and listened.

"Tobi-chan," the man apparently visiting the oldest of the three remaining Uchiha's had a bitter sound to his voice. Itachi peeked around the side of the doorframe cautiously, not wanting to be seen until he knew whether this person was friend or foe.

"You never did tell me how you were so easily able to make people follow your lead," He said softly, before letting out a shaky sigh, "You need to wake up soon, though... I hear that Juritsu is missing, and you're team is lost without you."

"Oga-chan..." Madara's voice was weak, almost pitiful sounding, but the apparent Oga-chan didn't reply. in fact, the other person's presence was completely gone.

Itachi rushed into the room, eyes wide with disbelief.

"You're awake...?"

Madara nodded slowly, "Why wouldn't I be? Or did they put into another coma?" He looked around himself, recollecting his thoughts for a moment before glancing up at Itachi, "Where's Ogata? He was here a second ago, I heard him."

Itachi's eyes widened even further. "He... it was _him_?!" the younger Uchiha was mad now. "He just left. If I had known he was the one who nearly killed you..."

Madara shook his head, "he didn't do it because he just felt like it; I pissed him off... I should've known better. Besides, he was worried about me." He used his arms to prop himself up on his pillows, smiling at Itachi brightly, "So, you're the one who's been coming to visit me sixty times a day, right?"

Itachi's eye twitched and he averted his gaze to glare at a corner in the wall. "No," he blatantly lied.

The older Uchiha chuckled lightly, "So, how has everything been?"

Itachi glanced at him; Madara could see the dark circles under them.

"Not good, I'm afraid," Itachi replied, "Juritsu's missing."

Madara blinked, "How long has she been missing?"

"Three days."

"Three days..." Madara thought about it for a moment, "She's probably fine, but if you're worried, I can check around with my folks... thought it'll take a day or two to talk to everyone."

"You're awake?" The doctor walked in, "We were planning to wake you up in a couple of days..."

"Well, ain't that too bad for you?" Madara replied, looking around the room, "Where are my pants? Also, I'm going to need a discharge form. Things have been a bit out of the loop since I've been gone, Yuki, so I'm afraid that I'll have to take my leave against your permission."

"Damn right it's against my permission! Madara, you are too..."

"I'm _dying_, Yuki. There's nothing else about it. If you don't let my leave, then I'll just have to jump out the window."

Itachi glared severely at his cousin, turning to the doctor and apologizing before requesting a medical release form. Once the doctor left, he turned back to Madara.

"I don't know if your people would know where she is. I took a day off to check the towns nearby, and nobody has seen her even there."

Madara found his pants and carefully removed himself from his bed, hopping around the room energetically as he pulled the black slacks on, "Well, we'll see... I have a feeling. I'm gonna talk to Oga-chan later today... He's partially who I meant by "my people"."

Itachi narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "He's one of yours, yet he tries to kill you?"

Madara thought about that for a moment, before replying, "He's not one of mine. And in all honesty, there really isn't a way to explain our relationship other than to say we talk to each other a lot."

Itachi hummed in acknowledgement. "Just don't do anything stupid. I don't anyone else could help her as much as you can. You've got resources, after all."

"Well, I made a promise, after all," He smiled broadly, "And I'm already constructing a list of likely spots and places and people in my head."

Itachi nodded. "I'll leave the rest to you then."

...

"Ready to go back?" Yao spoke up with a smile as he resumed a regular posture from the sparring that he'd been doing with Juritsu, "It's getting late, and one should never be out in this forest when the sun isn't up."

He was right; the sky was a vivid orange red color, and the sun at a point where it'd soon be disappearing behind the mountains. Nodding with a shy smile on her face, she quickly followed after him as he began to lead the way back towards the cabin.

Abruptly, Yao held up a hand, signaling for her to stop. He beckoned her forward, ushering her to his side as if he was worried about her safety.

They inched forward silently until they were at a point where they could see through the underbrush without being noticed in return. Yao's eyes were narrowed, and he had one arm on Juritsu's upper arm, making sure that she didn't leave his side. Whatever he was sensing, it was extremely powerful.

And then she could feel it too; the darkness of an all too familiar aura. Eyes widening, she wrenched her arm out of Yao's grip, backing away from the source slowly. She couldn't see it, but she was sure that her skin had paled in fear.

Yao, for a moment, didn't respond to her steadily moving away from him. In fact, he was beginning to inch back as well. As suddenly as he had frozen, he had relaxed, turning to face Juritsu.

"This isn't an attack," he hissed, his voice barely audible, "Do you feel it? Concentrate."

She didn't need to; the aura was that familiar dark evil, but there was a heaviness that she hadn't felt before, except once…

_"Her name… was Kagura Hisakata…_"

Silently she nodded, but deep down, she was screaming in disbelief. It _couldn't_ have been Kensei.

Finally, the person they had been hiding from became visible. His long white hair hung down to his waist, and his head was lowered. It _was_ Kensei, also know as Ogata Isshinsai.

"No…" her whisper was barely audible, and she turned, ready to bolt. She had taken no more than the first stride when someone grabbed her arm. She nearly screamed.

"Shh!" Yao breathed in her ear, "If you move now, you'll make a noise… If he really is after you, then he'll take any opportunity." He paused briefly, glancing back over his shoulder, "I want to follow him, but if you want, I will take you back to the cabin first."

With his long strides, Ogata was already far out of range to be able to hear them whispering as quietly as they were.

The last thing she wanted was to be left alone with Kensei in the vicinity. She shook her head furiously, eyes still wide and racing. Yao nodded in understanding, his hand shifting to hold hers, giving her hand a comforting squeeze before beginning a stealthy trek up the slight incline. Juritsu remained as silent as she could, forcing her breathing to calm, and steadying her trembling hands.

Remaining in the small, unkempt path, the pair followed the sound of Ogata's footsteps. It was clear that he wasn't even beginning to attempt to hide himself, which further proved Yao's theory that he wasn't there for trouble.

They followed him to the clearing where the waterfall was, sliding around the outside of the clearing to follow him further. Kensei walked to the side of the waterfall, crouching down and reaching out his hand to touch the white tombstone.

**_My beloved, forever rest in peace_**

Yao's eyes widened slightly, before he glanced at Juritsu, slightly taken aback by her sudden change in expression. From totally horrified, she had gone to shocked and furious. He could feel her inner turmoil. Currently, it was all she could do to suppress her murderous intent. Kensei, having compassion?! There was no such thing! He was a ruthless monster who'd destroy lives to get his way!

And yet, here he was, mourning to loss of who was most likely Hisakata Kagura.

"Who is he, exactly?" Yao asked softly, watching the stranger carefully. Something was… off about his behavior. He wasn't just expressing sadness, but regret.

"He's the man I'm trying to kill," the growl was barely audible, but there, "He's the one I've been running from."

Yao watched Juritsu carefully for a few seconds, before returning his attention to the apparent 'bad guy'. He was digging in the stones with his hands. He reached into the slight hole that he had easily made within a minute or two, and pulled something out of it. It shimmered in the light for a moment, though it's color seemed dulled by the dirt. Kensei didn't spent even a moment washing the filth off it. He replaced the rocks and dirt to where they had been, and stuffed his treasure into his pocket.

His stride seemed longer than before; troubled, anxious... he was walking faster, as if he wanted to get as far away from the grave as possible.

Juritsu's look gave way to disbelief, and abruptly she shook her head, spinning around and walking in the opposite direction.

"I can't do this..." she muttered as her pace quickened. She needed to get away from here. There really was no point in trying to get stronger, not after seeing Kensei like _that_.

Yao caught up with her easily, "Are you sure?" He asked, "Juritsu, despite what he may act like in the face of his loved one, that won't change the fact that he will continue to hunt you and your friends."

The girl whirled back around to face him. "So? You saw that? He's not evil! He suffers like the rest of us! How am I supposed to not hesitate to fight him if I know that he's like that?!" she snapped, before quieting down, bitterly looking down at her feet, "I'd just be better off leaving this country."

Yao smiled sympathetically, "Juritsu, you can't give up here." He paused for a moment, before continuing, "Is there someone that you love a little more than everyone else? Have you thought about what they're doing right now? Have you thought about the pain they must be in, not knowing where you are and whether you're okay or not?"

"Do you want to leave them in that kind of state for the rest of their lives, or do you want to go home on the day of the new moon with a triumphant smile and let them know that you're okay, and won't ever leave their side again?"

Juritsu clenched her fists as tears welled in her eyes.

"But _how_?" her voice was shaky as she began to cry, burying her face in her hands, "How can I face him if I feel sorry for him!? I'll hold back and that'll be the death of me!"

She finally broke down, sinking to her knees and crying outright.

Yao shook his head, "It's because you feel sorry for him that I know you can defeat him." He crouched down beside her, pulling her into a gentle hug, "I will teach you, Juritsu, so please trust me, even if it's only for a little while."

Juritsu clung to his shirt tightly, not wanting him to let go. He was the closest thing she had ever came to having a father since the death of hers. She nodded, her face buried in his chest. For now, she would trust him. He was her only chance of making things right.


	16. Chapter 16

**_Chapter Sixteen_**

…

Madara pulled his phone out of his pocket as it began to sing its tune. He flipped it open, recalling the memory that would tell him who it was.

He blinked, "It's Ogata." He said, answering it, "Hello?"

Itachi was glaring at the phone as it had committed an act of treason.

"Tobi... How are you feeling?" Madara looked surprise at Ogata's tired sounding voice. The other was completely lacking his usual vibe. Nevertheless, Madara smiled at the seemingly sincere concern.

"I feel a lot better than I did. What's up, Ogata? You sound like shit."

There was a slight pause before the reply, "I've been off since you went under the knife, but that isn't why I'm calling." Ogata's reply was definitely lacking in explanation, but Madara decided to let it slide.

"I figured that much..."

"Will you meet me at the cafe?"

Madara thought for a moment on that one, before he finally replied, "Sure. Can I bring Itachi with me? He's my designated driver."

Ogata's pause was a lot longer than Madara's, "Yea... sure. I don't mind."

"Okay... I'll see you soon then." Madara replied with a brighter smile. He shut his phone, instantly ending the conversation, "Itachi, take us to that cafe I introduced you to. Ogata's waiting for us."

Itachi was now thoroughly glaring at his cousin.

"I'm not going into that cafe," he bluntly replied, "I'll wait in the car."

Madara gave him a stern look in reply, "Hey, I've been in a coma for a while. What if I suddenly collapsed? You're a doctor; you're supposed to take care of me."

"Madara, I don't want to have to be anywhere near _him_. I'll sit somewhere near your table, but I refuse to sit at the same table as him."

Madara blinked, raising an eyebrow, "I'll beg."

Finally, Itachi stopped the car, pulling along the side of the road, and glared at his cousin.

"Why," he growled, clearly irritated.

"I asked Oga-chan if I could bring you," Madara replied, tilting his head, "That was a test; he knows that your Juritsu's friend, but he wouldn't let you come unless there was a reason. Besides, he's depressed; what's the worse that could happen?"

"I could attack him."

"You say that as if you have plans to."

Itachi blinked, slightly taken aback. "How does he know Juritsu?"

Madara's expression turned sour in a matter of seconds, "Oh..." He said, looking like he was regretting mentioning her.

_Well, I guess there's no way around this..._

"You probably know him as Kensei-sama."

There was a brief pause in which the words sunk in. Itachi's shocked expression slowly turned murderous.

"And you expect me to just willingly sit at the same table as the man who's been making Juritsu's life hell since her family was _murdered by him_?!" Itachi's voice was steadily rising, "You're out of your mind!"

Madara suddenly looked fairly angry, "You know, Itachi, funny story; I'm the one who had kidnapped Sasuke and threatened to kill him, and we seem to get along just fine!" he paused for a moment, "You think that I _like_ this person? I _hate_ him, but that doesn't mean I don't have to disregard my man-..." Madara's voice died in his throat, and he reached up a hand, clutching the font of his shirt as he started to cough uncontrollably. His skin was white and pasty looking, and he was beginning to tremble. Itachi could see a thin stream of blood running from between his fingers.

Itachi's angry look gave way to a slightly concerned one.

"Are you sure you should be meeting him in that condition?"

After a few seconds of coughing, Madara managed to get his throat under control, wheezing for a moment before replying, "I'm _fine_!" He snapped, pulling out a handkerchief and wiping his bloodied hand and mouth, "You don't' have to come in if you don't want to; it doesn't matter. Just drive."

The slightly angry glint returned to his eye, and without another word, he obediently drove, silently fuming about what seemed to be Madara's lack of understanding.

…

Madara walked into the cafe, looking around briefly before spotting Ogata and walking over to join him. He strained a smile, ignoring the excruciatingly painful burning in his chest as best as he could.

Ogata watched Madara intently as he said down, a concerned look crossing his features, "You look like you're in pain... and where's Itachi?"

Madara chuckled lightly, "Yea... we had a disagreement. He's concerned that he might kill you, and I'm pissed 'cause he's worrying about me too much."

Ogata raised his eyebrows, before smirking slightly as he nodded in understanding, "I used to have fights like that with you al the time, back when we were younger."

"Yea... I kinda miss those days sometimes." A nostalgic look crossed Madara's face for a moment, "Anyway... What did you want to talk about?"

"Juritsu..." Ogata replied softly, "Is getting stronger; I can feel it in my bones."

"You just made yourself sound like a really old person."

Ogata snorted, "You _look_ like a really old person." His smile faded slightly, "Anyway, I was thinking about that day when... you know..." Madara knew that he was talking about the day he killed off her family, and he nodded to show it.

"Her father..." He said softly, "Was... annoying." Ogata reached into his pocket, pulling out a chain. Balled up in his fist was a ruby red pendant, "Even though he should've known that I was the type to destroy this kind of thing... He gave me this and asked me to give it to Juritsu someday."

Madara blinked, "That's... her family crest..." Ogata nodded silently, "Why are you telling _me_ this?"

"Well... I don't know!" Ogata snapped suddenly, looking slightly stricken, very confused, and totally furious, "I've been thinking a lot about her, ever since I put you in the hospital... I can't give this to her, but I'm sick of holding onto it! I was going to destroy it ages ago, but Kagura didn't want me to..."

Madara was staring at him like he'd lost his mind, which Ogata was thinking he had, "What's wrong, Kensei?"

"_Don't_ call me that." he replied hotly, before falling silent.

"What do you want me to do?" Madara asked slowly, looking at him intently. Ogata looked up at him his eyes set and serious.

"I want you to give this crest to her, and tell her that her father left it to _you_. She won't take it if it's from me." Ogata stood up, leaving his coffee completely full on the table. He carefully placed the crest on the table in front of Madara, "I have to go. I'll talk to you later..."

Madara remained in his seat for several minutes after Ogata had left before he stood up. He left the pay on the table, hidden carefully under the coffee cups, picked up the crest, and left to join Itachi in the car.

Itachi raised an eyebrow as Madara climbed into the passenger's seat. "That was quick," he simply remarked as he started driving.

Madara glanced over at him for a moment, before sighing, "It felt like forever."

Itachi hummed as he turned a corner, "And your chest?"

"It burns, but I'll be okay." He replied, "What's your opinion; should I stay at your house for now, or should I see if my hotel room wasn't taken by someone else?"

The younger Uchiha sighed. "I think for now, it would be safer for you to stay with me. I can take better care of you that way."

"Will Sasuke be angry?"

"He's gotten used to you not being an asshole."

Madara chuckled, "That's good." He curled his fingers around the pendant in his sweater pocket briefly.

…

Yao looked up at the steadily fading light, before turning to Juritsu. She looked better in every way that Yao could think of. She looked healthier, emotionally and mentally. She looked, to Yao, like she was going to be _okay_.

"Ready to go back, Juritsu?" he said, turning in the direction of the nearby path.

Juritsu followed his glance down the road. Abruptly, a wave of uncertainty crashed over her.

"It's... I'm nervous," she admitted, "Will I really be alright?"

Yao smiled warmly at her, "Juritsu," he said, "You are ready."

There was a brief moment as Juritsu stared steadily at Yao. It was as if she was studying the depths of his eyes. Slowly, a small smile crept upon her lips, and she nodded gratefully.

Her mentor cocked his head towards the path, "Let's go."

That night was filled with a joyous, excited atmosphere. Yong Soo was smiling as he cook, tilting his head back and forth as if he was listening to a silent tune. Yao watched his kid brother with a chuckle in his throat.

"He's in a strangely good mood," Yao spoke, eyebrows raised, "I wonder if he's cooking up a surprise for us…" The glowing candle light spread around the cabin lit up the room in a warm glow, and Yao was promising Juritsu an amazing evening surprise after dinner.

_"There's one more thing I want to show you, Juritsu,"_ he had said with a light in his eyes that she hadn't seen before, _"But you have to wait until night before I can show you."_

Juritsu had been confused at this, but she wasn't worried. Yao had proven to be someone she could trust with her life.

_"Hai, Yao-sensei!"_

Yao brought her out of the cabin, leading her into the forest. It wasn't long before she heard the familiar sound of rushing water; he was taking her to the falls. Judging by how uncharacteristically loudly he was walking, he was either very excited, or was just keeping animals away.

Finally, they broke through the underbrush, and Juritsu's eyes widened at the sight of the brightly colored water. She could see what he had wanted to show her.

The water was colored almost like the _Sun_. It was bright yellow, colored by the hundreds of differently sized golden gem at the bottom. The milky light of the moon was just dim enough to properly illuminate the entire spot with yellows and golds.

Juritsu, at first, could only gape in amazement.

"What is this?" she asked, awestruck.

Yao glanced over at her with a smile on his face, "I don't know. All I know is that the stones are clear enough to reflect light back through the water, and they're yellow." He turned back to the water, "Not including my family, you're the only one who knows about this."

"It's beautiful..." Juritsu glanced over at him, her eyes shining, "Thank you, Sensei."

He chuckled slightly in response, "Please," He said, "Just call me Yao."

Juritsu nodded, smiling slightly.

…

"Up, up!" Yao called from somewhere far away, rubbing her shoulder. Juritsu could tell he was smiling, even though she hadn't opened her eyes yet. "Wake up, Juritsu. You'll miss your train."

Juritsu shot up. "Train?!" she shrieked before blinked, "Wait, I can't. Geez, don't scare me like that!"

She got up to gather her things. She was already wide awake now, what else could she do?

Yao was laughing, "That was rich," he said between breathes, "I haven't laughed that good in a while. Anyway, yea, I was waking you up so that you wouldn't miss your train."

He stepped off into a corner, pulling out one of the boars of the floor and pulling up what looked to Juritsu like a very fat wallet. He walked back over after replacing the board and handed it to her.

"Here; use this for whatever you need. Take all of it; it's not like we have use for this kind of money here." When Juritsu opened the wallet curiously, her eyes widened; it must've had enough in it to buy a _house_.

She looked mortified. "B-but, I can't take this!" she protested, "You've already done so much for me! I couldn't possibly take this too."

Yao smiled, "Then pay me back next time we see each other." He replied, "Don't worry about it, Juritsu; like I said, I've only been keeping that for emergencies like yours."

Juritsu was completely speechless, and she _still_ looked unsure of what to do, holding the wallet in her hands as if it were a wounded animal.

Yao chuckled lightly, grabbing her bag off the floor, "C'mon; I'll walk you to the station... It's easy to get lost around here."

Still at a loss for words, Juritsu hesitantly followed Yao out of the door. She glanced over her shoulder, wishing that Yong Soo could've been around so she could at least have bid him farewell.

As they stepped out in the morning sunlight, Yao reached into his pocket, pulling something out and turning opt glance at Juritsu.

"Yong Soo wanted me to give you this for him; he's shy." He handed the gift to her; a handcrafted knife, the blade made from the yellow stones in the falls.

"It's amazing... How long did it take for him to make this?"

Yao shrugged, "I didn't ask. He just handed it to me while you were sleeping, and left to go and hunt almost instantly afterwards."

Juritsu rolled the blade over in her hand as she scrutinized the design. It was a beautiful blade and looked like it was more a showcase item than an actual weapon.

Yao wrapped an arm around her shoulder and steered her to the right, heading down the mountain at an easy pace, "Lets go."

The trip down the hill took only an hour, despite how harsh and treacherous it had seemed when she'd first been going up it. They walked for another ten minutes into town before reaching the station, where one train was just leaving, and the next -- Juritsu's -- was due in the next couple of minutes.

As the large train rolled up to a stop beside the boarding area, Yao turned to Juritsu, a smile on his face as he handed her bag over, "Juritsu, take care of yourself, okay?" His tone of voice could've been compared to that of a father who was sending his daughter to college for the first time, "If you ever need us again, don't be afraid to come back. You're always welcome." He leaned forward, kissing her forehead gently.

"I'll see you again, someday, then. You'd better go before you're train leaves."

Juritsu's smiled wavered slightly, and tears sprang to her eyes as she quickly embraced him.

"Thank you, for everything," she whispered, "You've helped me more than you'll ever know."

With that, she released him, giving him one last bright smile, before hurrying to board the train.

_Do your best, Juritsu_, the train began to pull away, and Yao slowly turned around, walking out of the station with his head slightly bowed to hide his rapidly tearing eyes.

_I'll be waiting to see you again._


	17. Chapter 17

**_Chapter Seventeen_**

…

It was late at night, and Kaizuki was walking swiftly down the darkened streets of her neighborhood, half looking around carefully for Juritsu, and half keeping a cautious eye out for her newest enemy. Some other part of her was heading home from the store after buying more orange juice. She needed to work on controlling her cravings for orange juice a little more.

"What's my little kitten doing out this late?" A familiar, male voice spoke up from behind her, and her heart skipped several beats. Kaizuki paused in her steps for a brief moment, before continuing on her way a bit faster than before. She swallowed the lump of anger and fear in her throat and bowed her head slightly.

"I'm going home, Yugao," she replied, her heart hammering against her chest. Did he have his gun with him? Did he have another weapon on him, like a knife, as he had a couple of nights ago? Should she attack him, or wait to be attacked? What were his intentions _this_ time?

"Do you want me to carry that for you?" She avoided his attempt to take her bag from her, raising her head to star at him through her red eyes.

"No thank you," She replied calmly, "I can handle it. It's just juice." She needed to think of a way to distract him, and then she could run away. She returned her attention to the world in front of her, her grip on the plastic bag so tight she wondered if the piece of trash would tear from her nails.

"Hey baby!" Someone wolf-whistled from behind her, and she glanced over her shoulder at the approaching group of teenagers. Her eyes narrowed slightly, and her mind and body wondered where Yugao had gone to. The guys were men, she quickly realized; slightly drunk, probably on the way home from a party and looking for a good time.

"Hey, she looks a little familiar…" One of them said, his drunken smile looking evermore uninhibited. His eyes were obviously wandering her body, and Kaizuki was thankful that she wasn't wearing anything all that revealing.

"Ritsuki, isn't she that one bitch whose boyfriend showed up?" One of them growled, his voice sounding angry, "Seems like she's alone tonight…"

Another sneered, speaking up in a creepy, obviously horny voice, "She ain't dressed in that cute outfit this time though… which means she's not ready for a fight."

Kaizuki was staring at them blankly; costume? Boyfriend? What were they talking about? She watching as they approached, picking up speed for a moment as they raised there fists. These guys were _not_ fighters, and she could tell.

She blinked, seeing a shadow dart out from the darkness. Her eyes widened, "MOVE!" She shouted, already knowing that, in their drunken stupor, they wouldn't be able to move in time.

Kaizuki ran forward, but wasn't fast enough. The entire group dropped like mayflies, and she stared at them, slightly horrified as she watched blood drip from their heads.

"I didn't _kill_ them…" Yugao's voice drifted out of the darkness as he resurfaced, "I know you don't like seeing corpses… Not after what happened to Kiku, after all."

Kaizuki's face paled and she dropped her juice, pulling out her cell phone and holding her thumb over the number pad as she prepared to dial 9-1-1.

Something hard hit her hand, and she heard a crack. She let out a cry and drop her electronic, dropping down to her knees and clutching at her newfound injury. Yugao stood over her, his black revolver pointed at her forehead.

Before she could even react, she heard the click of the trigger being pulled back on an empty bullet slot. Her heart stopped, and her blood froze. She could've _died_ right then, and she had absolutely no reason to believe that he was afraid to kill her.

He flipped the gun around and raised it up, before bringing it down swiftly with the intent to hit her. Kaizuki lowered her head, shutting her eyes tightly and waiting for the impact.

It never came. She opened her eyes, noticed a second pair of shoes by her knees. She slowly raised her head as she heard Yugao snarl, "Bitch! Let go of me!"

"Not until I either hear from you that you will get the hell out of my sight, or I rip your arm off completely."

Kaizuki's eyes widened slightly; Juritsu? Wasn't she supposed to be missing, with every one of her friends and un-biological family members looking for her desperately?

She opened her mouth, but her voice died in her throat. There was something different; she could feel a different, warmer, more powerful sense of strength radiating off of Juritsu. It was a bit chilled at the moment, but it still somehow felt warm...

"This won't be the last you see of me, Kaizuki..." Yugao snarled, wrenching his arm out of Juritsu's grip and turning away. He spared Juritsu one last glance, memorizing her person before running off into the dark.

Kaizuki finally looked up, eyes slightly wide in surprise at Juritsu, who was steadily staring in the direction that the boy had run off.

"You know him, Kaizuki?" she asked calmly.

Kaizuki paled slightly, before sighing, "Sort of..." She replied slowly, "He's... Well, he was a friend, and then he went crazy."

Juritsu hummed slightly, before glancing down at her, a slight grin on her lips as she held out a hand.

"Want me to walk you home?"

Kaizuki smiled gratefully, allowing Juritsu to pull her to her feet, "If it wouldn't be any trouble for you, I wouldn't mind..." She replied, still looking slightly shaken up.

Juritsu's smile widened and softened. "It's no problem at all."

They started on their way down the street, Kaizuki having grabbed her juice before they'd started off.

"So, are you gonna be in school tomorrow? Everyone's been insanely worried about you... We've been so worried that I can't even tell you who was the most worried. Even Mr. Kirkland was concerned."

Juritsu nodded slowly. "I think so. It depends on whether Kensei appears or not. I'm just waiting now."

Kaizuki nodded, "Kensei... I hear his name a lot, but I don't think I've ever seen him." She said thoughtfully, "Well, I hope he doesn't show up until after you've gotten a little rest. You look a bit on the sleepy side."

Juritsu laughed a little at that. "It's been... an interesting few days. Sleep would be good."

"I assume you found something nice during your journey." Kaizuki asked, glancing at Juritsu with a smile, "You look a little more peaceful than you used to."

Juritsu glanced back, an unreadable glint in her eyes, before she looked ahead, a faraway look in her eyes.

"I guess you could say that. I think I'll be ale to finally finish things."

The look in Juritsu's eyes changed; hardened, slightly cooler and calculating. She was determined.

Kaizuki's smiled softened, her eyes warm, "I'm glad you found whatever it was you were looking for, Juritsu." she replied, "I think I'm kind of glad that you were able to runaway and come back even better than before."

The hardened gaze disappeared, and Juritsu giggled. "You think so? I'm not so sure if I was glad that I had to runaway in the first place. But I'm glad that I did when I did."

Kaizuki chuckled, "Well, a forwarding address would've been nice."

"It isn't that easy to get to where I ended up, to say the least."

They finally reached Kaizuki's house, where she pulled her key out of her pocket, before turning to Juritsu and hugging her, "I'll see you tomorrow, then, unless you or I happen to drop dead of some unknown disease."

"I hope you don't plan on it," Juritsu was grinning as she replied, returning the hug graciously, "Be careful, and don't be afraid to call if that creep shows up. I'll gladly beat him to a pulp."

Kaizuki couldn't help but laugh, "I love the way you say these things, Juritsu. I'll call you if anything happens."

"Good."

...

The night was calm and clear. Juritsu walked leisurely down the street, a bright smile on her face. The air was crisp, energizing her to the core. It was a good feeling; for a change she didn't feel like she was being watching, nor did it feel like she was in danger. Perhaps the gods were smiling down on her for a change. _And how long would that last_... she wondered to herself. She didn't know when it would happen, but she knew, her final battle was coming.

But tonight wouldn't be that moment. Tonight, she would be coming home.

The apartment was dark as she stealthily let herself in. _He must have already gone to sleep_... she thought as she carefully placed her bags down and squinted through the darkness, noticing a shadowed lump on the couch. She smiled; he must've left the blankets and pillows out for her.

She slept closer before pausing, body tensing up. There was a subtle noise, the sounds of air passing through lungs that weren't her own.

For just an instant, her instincts kicked in, and she nearly went into attack mode. But then she realized that the person wasn't moving. Sleeping, perhaps?

The vibe of this person was familiar though, so it calmed her nerves. Carefully, she crept up to the foot of the couch, leaning over slightly to try and get a look at their face. It wasn't hard to figure out, and she straightened herself back up, a gentle smile on her face and a light sigh breathing through her lips.

Really, what was she going to do with him?

"I'm home," she murmured quietly, chuckling to herself as she turned to set up Takeda's bed to tuck him in. She didn't go very far; a hand grabbed her wrist, startling her slightly. She whirled around just as she was being pulled into his arms.

"I know," she didn't need the light to be on to know that Takeda was smiling.

"You won't leave me like that ever again, right? I'll hunt you down next time." His tone was as playful as always, but there was an underlying tone that made her heart flutter.

She smiled happily, returning his tight embrace.

"I won't. I promise."


	18. Chapter 18

**_Chapter Eighteen_**

…

"Tsubaki Kaizuki." Mr. Kirkland said calmly, looking up and around the room for the apparently absent student. He marked her down as "AB" in his attendance book, and when onto the next students name. "Uchiha Sasuke,"

Due to her record of absences, Mr. Kirkland wasn't at all surprised that she wasn't there. Juritsu glanced around curiously, wondering if Kaizuki was sick. She decided that she would text Kaizuki between classes to find out if something had happened. Mr. Kirkland was opening his mouth to call out the next student when the door slid open. Kaizuki stood n the doorway, looking flushed and tired.

"Sorry I'm late."

Mr. Kirkland was giving her a very stern stare, "Why are you late?" He asked, sounding obviously irritated.

Kaizuki stared at him silently or a brief few seconds before replying, "Uh… I forgot to set my alarm. It happens sometimes." She replied, walking swiftly across the room and taking her seat.

Mr. Kirkland was still giving the world an angry glare as he erased "AB" and replaced it with a very small "late."

Kaizuki spent a few seconds holding her head in her hands, looking fairly stressed. She was pulling out her notebook and jotting something down on what looked like a "list of things to do."

Juritsu eyed her friend suspiciously. Something was clearly up.

...

Kaizuki looked up as Juritsu took a seat on the opposite side of the table from her. With her soon came Itachi, Sasuke, Kenichi, and Miu. Ryuuto, as usual, was nowhere to be seen.

"Hey," Kaizuki greeted, "How's your first day back going?"

"Mr. Kirkland seemed relieve to see me, though I guess it was to be expected. That was probably the first time I missed so much school since… that time…" Juritsu trailed off, looking at her plate awkwardly.

Kaizuki nodded, a smile on her face, "No use dwelling on the past during lunch; you'll lose your appetite." She pulled her hair tie out of her pocket and pulled her hair up into a loose ponytail so that it would stay out of her bento.

A slightly large, dark bruise quickly became visible through her black hair. As if in sudden realization, she moved her hand up to the bruise and brushed some stray strands of hair over it with her fingers. But it was too late to cover it up.

"What's that?" Itachi asked, eyebrows furrowing as he brushed her hair away from the bruise to take a better look, "Where did this come from?"

She lightly smacked his hand away, shaking her head to replace her new hairdo, "It's nothing. Just a bruise; I hit my head last night… I do that _a lot_."

Itachi looked hesitant, but he decided not to press further. Juritsu was, however, glaring at her, a suspicious and enraged glint in her eyes.

_It was him, wasn't it?_

Kaizuki returned the gaze, though not nearly as harshly.

_I already promised that I'd come to you if anything happened._

_Would you **really** come? If you're anything like me, you wouldn't. You were like that with Aisoku._

Kaizuki broke eye contact completely at that point, turning to face Itachi and smiling slightly, "If I get a bad headache, I'll seek you out." She said with a smile, before picking u her untouched lunch, "I need some fresh air… I'll be on the roof if anyone needs me." With that, she excused herself, dumping her lunch into the trash and leaving the cafeteria wit a solemn expression.

Juritsu watched Kaizuki until she could no longer see her, before sighing in resignation and half-heartedly pick her food. Kaizuki wouldn't accept her help until she herself asked for it. Juritsu had no choice but to wait.

The cool, crisp air on the roof was exactly was Kaizuki needed to clear her head. He stared up at the partial clouds and blue sky, and let out a deep, exhausted sigh.

"Would I?" She asked herself aloud, "Would I go Juritsu if I really needed her help?" She wasn't altogether sure; she had never been the type to burden others with her problems. At least, not until it got to a point where it was too far out of control for her to be able to go on alone.

At the moment, Yugao wasn't serious about killing her. At the moment, he was just like a child who wanted to play with his dolls, and he wanted to play rough.

She closed her eyes, standing by the fence at that point and allowed the light breeze to play across her face, cool and calming.

"When I need her help," she finally spoke aloud, opening her eyes and feeling much better, "I'll ask for it."

She wished that she hadn't felt so nauseous. Lunch had looked rather delicious.

"I'm home," Juritsu called as she placed her school bag beside the couch, inhaling a rather delicious scent from the kitchen. Takeda emerged in to the living room, grinning at her.

"Welcome back," he greeted cheerfully, "You're not working tonight?"

"Nope, Yuki-san let me have the night off, so I have some time to relax before I make my rounds."

"Good!"

Juritsu raised an eyebrow, "Something up?"

"Well, I was wondering how I was going to let you know since you usually aren't back 'til really late, but I'm going to be going to Shiba-shisho's place to train for the weekend. I'll leave tomorrow morning and return Sunday late in the morning, maybe the afternoon."

Juritsu nodded slowly, looking slightly worried. Takeda glanced at her curiously before stepping closer. "What's wrong?"

The brunette blinked in surprise before smiling. "It's nothing. Don't worry about it."

She knew he could see right through her, but he didn't press.

"Okay…" he studied her for a moment before returning to the kitchen, "Dinner will be ready soon!"

Her smile became more genuine. "Alright! It smells delicious. Hope the taste doesn't let me down!"

Takeda laughter rang through the house, dissipating Juritsu's worries for the time being.

...

Juritsu woke up relatively late Saturday morning. The apartment seemed unnaturally quiet. Looking around, she grew slightly worried before a note caught her eye.

_Juri-chan, you looked so cute sleeping that I didn't want to wake you up when I was leaving! I'll see you tomorrow!_

_- Takeda_

Juritsu smiled slightly before sighing and pulling herself out of bed. Once she had finished with her usual routine, she could tidy up the house.

The day itself went by uneventfully. She practiced shooting goals during the morning, spent part of the afternoon training, and cleaned the apartment until that night.

As she was preparing a small meal for herself, she noticed there wasn't much in the fridge. So, she decided to go food shopping after dinner.

The night was cool and calm and the stars twinkled in the sky. Juritsu took her time strolling down the street, enjoying the crisp summer night. The grocery store wasn't too crowded either, but it was lively. As she was browsing through the vegetables, a head of familiar dark hair caught her eye.

"Hey, Kaizuki!" she called. The girl in question looked around briefly, searching for the source of the summoning before spotting Juritsu. She grinned brightly.

"Hey! What's up? I haven't seen you here before."

Juritsu caught up to her, grinning sheepishly, "I don't normally shop Saturday nights, but there was a need for it. Takeda's gone for the night. He's training at his master's place."

Kaizuki nodded in understanding, "I don't either; it's so crowded usually, but I ran out of salmon, and I was going to make some sushi tonight with it."

"Sounds tasty," Juritsu walked leisurely over with Kaizuki to the checkout counter, "Where are you going after this?"

Kaizuki thought for a moment, before shrugging, "Probably home; I'll likely have a mess to clean up when I get there."

Juritsu raised an eyebrow suspiciously, but didn't say anything as she paid for her things. "Well, you live past where I live, so if you want I'll walk with you."

The younger of the two nodded "Sure." She replied as she handed the pleasant man behind the counter his money.

The girls chatted about various things as they walked back home, mainly comparing their days and plans for tomorrow.

"Well, this is where I must leave. You'll be okay walking home, right?" Juritsu asked. Kaizuki chuckled lightly.

"I'll be fine." She replied, bidding her friend farewell and continued down the street alone. Juritsu smiled slightly, watching her go, before fishing her keys out of her pocket and walking up the stairs to the apartment she shared with Takeda.

Upon opening the door and taking a step inside, she froze. There was a chill in the air that went down her very spine. Something was wrong. As quietly as she could, she placed her bags on the floor right by the door, setting her keys on the table, and creeping deeper into the room. Her eyes darted around rapidly, but she could barely see in the dark. The shadows crept around her. It almost felt as it she was being hunted by the shadows.

She wasn't alone.

She turned around slowly, eyes scouring the room for even a hint of movement. A slight whisper reached her ears, and she whirled around, glancing about wildly. _Where are they?!_ She thought desperately, turning once more to glance behind her. Once more, a noise caught her attention, and the spun around, this time finding herself face to face with Kensei. Before she could scream in surprise, he punched her across the face, the force throwing her over the couch and slamming her against the wall. She quickly stumbled to her feet, reaching over the counter and flipping up the switch, and no sooner did she do that than she was kicked across the room, crashing through a door into the bedroom. She staggered back out, wiping the blood that was leaking down her forehead.

"What's the matter, Little Juritsu? The last time someone attacked your home, you went crazy. Or is it just because it's _me_ this time?" His voice sounded colder and angrier than usual. The usual sarcastic tone was not even hinted, and his eyes had a different kind of glow to them.

Spitting the blood out of her mouth, she glared murderously at him. "You bastard!" she shrieked, leaping at him with the full intention to drive her knee into his head.

"See?" He chided as he easily avoided her attack, ducking under her and driving his fist into her stomach, "You are much more beautiful in the heat of a battle… Your true and natural beauty can be realized if you would just accept your instinct to fight."

The force of his punch actually lifted her slightly up in the air, and she didn't catch herself as she hit the floor, doubling over and gasping desperately for air. At least three of her ribs cracked from the blow.

"I-I… told you… n-no," she forced out between wheezes, fighting the burning in her lungs as she twisted herself around to try and sweep Kensei's legs out from under him. However, her attempts didn't go as planned. Kensei brought up his legs and stepped down on her ankle as she was swinging it, crushing it against the ground. Juritsu let out a scream in pain, trying to pull her foot out from the pressure. The bones in her foot snapped, one by one.

"I've told you a thousand times, Juritsu. You can do whatever you want; I am never going to leave you alone until you join me."

Desperately, she grabbed a broken table leg, smashing it into his side. Kensei barely flinched, only staring at her harder and putting a little more weight on her ankle.

"If you would just admit defeat, I wouldn't have to put you through so much pain, Juritsu." He said, not calling her by that foul nickname for once, "Despite what you may believe, hurting pretty girls and giving them ugly scars is not one of my hobbies."

"I WON'T LOSE TO YOU!" She roared, swinging her leg up in into his side with all the strength she could muster.

Kensei was slightly taken off guard by the attack. He had expected her to be unable to move from the pain of her broken bones. As a result, instead of avoiding it, he took a direct blow from Juritsu's powerful kick, which sent him stumbling a few steps away from her. He turned to face her again, obviously irritated that she was still putting up a fight, despite her injuries.

"If you fight on those injuries, you could permanently damage your body, Juritsu." He snapped, almost sounding like was concerned.

"What's it to you!? If you destroy my body, at least I won't have to worry about running from you any longer!" she snarled raggedly in response, balancing on her good foot, "I wouldn't be the prized possession that you've been so keen to take, now would I?!"

Kensei only smirked, "The exact opposite; you'd just be more vulnerable to my taking you."

She froze, taken aback by the response. Her eyes were wide with incredulity.

"D-Don't fuck with me!" she shrieked, heart racing in a newfound fear. Her voice lacked the strength and confidence from before. "I'd be useless to you! Who can fight with a crippled body?! Look at Ryuuto; you threw him aside! It wouldn't be any different with me!"

Kensei's eyes only held more sinister thoughts, "The less fight you put up, the better, little Juritsu." He replied maliciously. The color drained from Juritsu's face, and she shrank back slightly. She was beginning to panic – the last thing she wanted to do in the situation. She needed to get him out of the apartment, but how?

As fast as she could, she grabbed the first thing she could get her hands on – the lamp – and hurdled it at Kensei with all the strength she could muster.

Without bothering to think much about it, Kensei raised his arm and deflected the light, sending it smashing into a wall.

"GET OUT!" she screamed, grabbing the small table and throwing it as well, scrambling for anything she could use as a projectile weapon. The kitchen was too far away. She knew there was no way she'd be able to make it to the knives without Kensei getting to her first.

Kensei dodged the next piece of furnishing, smiling slightly at her, "Juritsu, have you forgotten that this _isn't_ your house, and therefore _nothing _in here belongs to you?" He paused, his eyes glowing with pure evil, "Or is it that you don't care?"

She stopped in her tracks only for the briefest of seconds. It wasn't… her house? But Takeda was letting her live there; surely that'd mean that was her home! Didn't it? _Damn it!_ She thought as she leapt at him once again, _he's… he's getting under my skin! Don't let him!_

"I wonder what poor Takeda is going to think when he comes home and finds that his favorite girl has ruined his home?" Kensei had a mock-pitying look on his face.

"SHUT UP!" Juritsu threw a fast punch, followed by a flurry of attacks to try and throw him off balance, "You, of all people, wouldn't know a thing about him!"

Kensei grabbed her wrist, wrenching her forward until their noses were mere centimeters away from each other, "Juri-chan, I think I might know a little more than you think you know."

Juritsu's eyes widened and she screamed, bringing up her hand and firing a ki blast at point-blank range. The explosion threw her backwards – the force of the blast pulled her arm free of Kensei's grip, dislocating her shoulder in the process – over the couch, and smashing into what was already left of the table that had previously broken.

She didn't realize how powerful her blasts were. She had never been in so much pain before. She could barely move, and her head was spinning. Nevertheless, she began struggling to get back on her feet.

Kensei gave her a slightly exasperated look, "Honestly, Juritsu… Now would be an appropriate time to allow yourself to succumb to unconsciousness."

He started walking over to her, wincing slightly from the results of her blast, carefully stepping over the broken furnishings on the floor.

"Get… out…" she weakly growled, "I won't… join you…"

She staggered to her feet, barely able to support her own weight, let alone stand up fully and fight.

"Juritsu," Kensei growled, "Stand down. We both know that you can't fight like that. Or perhaps you like the pain of defeat?"

"I… I can't let you take me there again! I don't want to have to hurt my friends again!" she hysterically shrieked in response, managing to bring her head up to look directly at him. Her eyes were frantic, desperate to avoid being forced into Yami.

Kensei, who had been steadily approaching her, stopped in his tracks, his eyes widened slightly in astonishment. He clenched his jaw tightly, before replying, "The fight is over, Juritsu." His voice sounded somewhat unsteady compared to before.

One moment, he was standing right in front of her. Seconds later, the world had gone dark.

_No!_

Hours later, the sun had risen, and even reached the high point in the sky. The door to their apartment opened, and Takeda stepped in, his grin immediately fading, and his eyes widening in horror. The place was a wreck. And in the very middle of it was Juritsu, on her knees, weakly trying to scrub the burn marks off the floor. Her ankle was swollen and bruised, and one of her arms hung uselessly at her side. Her back was to him, but he knew that she was even worse of than she looked.

"Juri-chan!" he dropped his bag and rushed over to her, carefully placing a hand on what appeared to be her non-injured shoulder, "What happened!?"

She weakly looked at him, tears streaming down her cheeks, mixing with the dried blood and even some of the blood that was leaking out of her partial-closed head wound. She looked seconds away from passing out.

"I'm sorry…" she whispered, "I'm so sorry."

Before he could say any more, her eyes slowly rolled into the back of her head, and she pitched forward. Takeda caught her before she hit the floor, and was startled by how limp she felt in his arms. His eyes widened in horror.

"JURITSU!!!"

...

"… lucky you found her when you did…"

"Looks… she took… beating…"

"I hope Juritsu-san… okay…"

"Hey, she's waking up!"

Slowly, Juritsu opened her eyes. Her lids felt swollen, but she ignored it.

"Where…" she whispered, taking in the faces of Miu, Kenichi, Takeda, Akisame, and Sakaki.

"You're at my clinic, Juritsu-san," Akisame reassured her, "You're fine."

"How are you feeling?" Takeda asked quickly.

"Hurts…"

The judo master at her side nodded, "You will be sore for a little while. I healed all of your bones, but you were pretty beaten up. You'll be fine in a couple of days."

"Was it Kensei?" Takeda's voice was gentle, but there was a dark undertone of fury. Wordlessly, she averted her eyes, nodding slowly.

Itachi appeared from Juritsu's peripheral vision, his black eyes looking her over for his own not-quite-professional opinion. "I don't know how it's possible, but Akisame really did heal you up."

Akisame was smirking. "I'm a pro."

Before Itachi could respond, his cousin poked his head in the door, looking both paler than usual and completely furious. He glanced over at Juritsu, taking in her pitiful state, his mood only burning more violently.

"Itachi, drive me to the café." He ordered more than asked, his voice cold. He walked over to Juritsu, his expression softening, "He won't want to look at you after I'm through with him, Juritsu."

Juritsu's eyes welled with tears, and she nodded miserably, her demeanor apologetic since she couldn't find the voice to say "sorry" out loud.

"You don't have to apologize for something you didn't do, Juritsu." He said softly, brushing her hair out of her face, "We're family; we look out for each other, right?"

She nodded again, fighting her tears back even harder. She was going through a whirl-wind of emotions.

Madara turned to Itachi, his expression changing instantly, "Ready?" He asked, his voice a deadly calm. Itachi nodded solemnly, leading the way out the door.

Takeda was holding Juritsu's hand, squeezing it gently. "It'll be okay, ne?" he soothed, "I promise."

The car right was stiflingly quiet and tense, but nevertheless, it was short. Madara got out of the car right as Itachi was putting it into park, and was on his way into the café before Itachi had a chance to catch up.

The older of the two paused, waiting for his cousin to catch up impatiently. They exchanged a brief glance, and entered the café, which was oddly empty. There was literally _no one_ in it, which led Madara to assume that Ogata had requested for all of the guests to leave. And since Ogata was infamous in the underground world of the café, it was likely that they left without a fight.

Madara spotted Ogata, who was sitting alone and staring at his hands like they were foreign objects. He swiftly crossed the café, Itachi tailing behind him. The vibe in the café was much unlike usual, but Madara was too furious to give it a second thought. He took a seat across the square table from Ogata, and Itachi stood beside him.

Doctor's orders; Itachi was not allowed to leave Madara alone for any amount of time, for risk of him having a cardiac arrest or his lungs collapsing spontaneously. Madara didn't like being babied, but Itachi had sort of silently insisted.

"Sorry for calling you out so suddenly…" Ogata muttered apologetically, avoiding eye contact in every way.

"No worries. I was only visiting Sasuke's tormented ex-girlfriend. Nothing important." Ogata visibly winced at the harshness of that reply.

"Anyway, seeing how I came all the way out here to see _you_, what did you want?"

"It's about… you… and Juritsu."

His blood was boiling. Madara sat there, glaring daggers at his rival, who was still avoiding eye contact with him. What kind of excuse was Ogata going to come up with to justify beating Juritsu to within an inch of her sanity? Or was he going to blame it on Madara, or Kagura, or his unstable life growing up, or something ridiculous like that?

He couldn't stand it; he was sick and tired of trying to make sense of a sick bastard who got off on his ability to destroy. He was fully prepared to _kill_, but that was bad for his heart.

"She said that being with me would mean that she'd have to hurt her friends…" _You mean you didn't know that?_ "I don't understand…"

Madara snorted, "You don't understand?" He snapped in an instant, his eyes blazing with rage, "What the hell is there to understand!?" Madara slammed his fist on the table and stood up, his expression crazed with anger, "You're nothing but a sick bastard, and you hurt my baby girl! The only thing you need to understand is what kind of monster you are!" His face was flushed, and his breathing was becoming slightly ragged as he continued, "If you _ever_ lay a hand on her again, I swe-…" Before he could finished, he succumbed to a sudden coughing fit, hacking up blood onto his hand. Ogata stood up, reaching over the table to tap Madara and make sure he wasn't choking on his bodily fluids.

"Are you…?"

"DON'T FUCKING TOUCH ME!" Madara roared, before collapsing to his knees as his energy left him. He started wheezing, a sure sign of not being able to breathe. Instantly, Itachi was at his side, supporting his weight.

"Slow down your breathing before you start hyperventilating, Madara," the younger cousin instructed. Madara shoved himself away from his cousin, before obeying the instructions and trying to breathe normally. His eyes rolled in his head, and his face drained of color.

"D-don't… touch me…" He wheezed, before collapsing against Itachi, who cursed, hefting Madara's limp form up, draping an arm over his shoulder, and hurrying out to the car, where he all but threw Madara into the passenger's seat. Jumping into the driver's seat, Itachi started the car, throwing the gear into drive, and speeding off towards the hospital.


End file.
